Recipe: Blueberry Sauce (Parve, Vegetarian, Non-Dairy)

This gorgeous, sweet sauce can be made with fresh blueberries in the summer and frozen berries year round.

We post this sauce to accompany our baked pears for an autumn or winter celebration, but can’t you imagine it with something lemony? Let us know how you use it.

The recipe comes from one of my go-to cookbooks, Marlene Sorosky’s Fast & Festive Meals for the Jewish Holidays. Not all of the recipes in the book are kosher, but sticking to the kosher recipes, I’ve found them to be not only delicious, but fast and foolproof.

Ingredients for Blueberry Sauce

Maked 5 cups of sauce

• 1 quart (4 cups) fresh or frozen blueberries
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 teaspoons grated lemon peel
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ½ cup water

Instructions for Blueberry Sauce

In a medium saucepan, stir all ingredients together. Bring to a boil over moderate heat and cook, stirring often, for 8 to 10 minutes, or until sauce thickens slightly and sugar is dissolved. The sauce will continue to thicken as it cools.

Make-Ahead Option

Sauce can be refrigerated, covered, up to 2 weeks.

Recipe: Apple Soup for a Fall Wedding – Dairy or Vegan/Parve (Serves 50)

This is a wonderful soup for a fall wedding. Not only is it delicious, it’s also simple and quick to make; great for a self-catered backyard wedding. The recipe comes from Moosewood Restaurant Cooks for a Crowd: Recipes with a Vegetarian Emphasis for 24 or More. I’ve made this soup a few times for dinner parties (decreasing the quantities), and people always love it. To make the full fifty-serving recipe you’ll need a large 2½ gallon stockpot, or a couple of smaller pots.

The original recipe calls for milk, but you can make a parve (and vegan) version by substituting almond milk.

Ingredients for Apple Soup

Makes 50 6-oz. servings

• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1 1/3 quarts (1 lb. 5 oz.) onions, chopped
• 7 quarts (8 lbs. 5 oz.) apples, cored, peeled, and cut into chunks
• 1 gal. apple juice or vegetable stock
• 2 tsp. cinnamon
• 1 tsp. ground cloves
• ½ tsp. ground nutmeg
• 1 qt. milk (for dairy soup) or almond milk (for vegan/parve soup)
• ¼ to ½ cup maple syrup (optional)
• Salt and black pepper to taste

Garnishes (optional)

• Yogurt, sour cream, parve sour cream substitute
• Cinnamon

Instructions

1. Saute the onions in oil until they are softened.
2. Add the apples and juice or stock and simmer until the apples are tender.
3. Puree with the remaining ingredients with an immersion blender until smooth.
4. Serve warm or chilled.
5. If desired, top with yogurt, sour cream or sour cream substitute, and a sprinkling of cinnamon.

Recipe: Apricot Rolls for a Middle Eastern Wedding Menu (Vegan, Parve)

These traditional sweets add a Middle Eastern touch to a dessert buffet, hors d’oeuvres reception or, as Gil Marks, points out, a Middle Eastern wedding shower. The recipe comes from Mark’s treasure of a cookbook, The World of Jewish Entertaining.

Ingredients for Middle Eastern Apricot Rolls

Makes about 7 dozen rolls

• 1 pound (3¼ cups) dried apricots, washed and drained
• ½ cup sugar, plus extra for sprinkling
• ½ cup coarsely chopped blanched almonds or unsalted pistachios

Instructions

1. In a food processor or grinder, grind or puree the apricots with the ½ cup sugar.
2. Sprinkle a large piece of wax paper with additional sugar and spread half of the apricot mixture on top of a ¼-inch-thick rectangle.
3. Arrange the nuts along one side of the rectangle, then roll up from the nut side. Repeat with the remaining apricot mixture.
4. Let stand, uncovered, at room temperature for 2 days, then cut into slices.

Alternatively, mix the nuts into the apricots, roll into ½-inch balls (about 50 balls), and press an additional piece of nut on top of each ball.

Recipe: Zucchini Pancake Hors d’Oeuvres for a Summer Wedding (Vegetarian, Parve)

When I was growing up, there was always one week when every homemaker’s backyard garden exploded with zucchini. All the Moms in the neighborhood would race each other to hand out the surplus harvest to people in the neighborhood who didn’t have gardens before those folks, too, were inundated with more zucchini than they could use.

Those Moms would have loved to be able to hand over some of their zucchini to someone in the neighborhood who could use them for a backyard wedding.

Even if there’s no one in your neighborhood offering you an armload of free zucchini, you can hit the supermarket or local farmers market for zucchini to make zucchini pancakes, a wonderful savory summer hors d’oeuvre for your summer wedding. I’ve tried a few versions of zucchini pancakes, but I like this one from Ivy Fueurstadt in New Kosher Cuisine the best. The pancakes come out nice and crispy. I’ve upped the quantities to make enough for a crowd.

Like all my favorite backyard wedding hors d’oeuvres, these can be made ahead and frozen.

Ingredients for Zucchini Pancake Hors d’Oeuvres

Makes 100-125 hors d’oeuvres

• 5 medium zucchinis, coarsely shredded (about 10 cups)
• 10 large eggs, beaten
• 1¼ cup minced onion
• 5½ cups all-purpose flour
• 1 scant Tablespoon baking powder
• Salt, to taste
• Oregano,to taste
• Vegetable oil for frying

Instructions for Zucchini Pancakes

You may want to mix this up in 2 batches.

1. In batches, place shredded zucchini in a colander and press out as much moisture as possible.
2. In a large bowl, mix egges, onion and zucchini. Add dry ingredients and mix.
3. Heat oil on griddle or in skillet over medium heat. Drop a scant tablespoon of batter into the hot oil. Flatten, if desired, and fry for 3 minutes on each side until brown and cripsy.

Make-Ahead Option

To freeze, place pancakes between pieces of wax paper so they don’t become soggy. When frozen solid, transfer to freezer bags. Reheat in 425 degree oven for 10 to 12 minutes until crispy.

Recipe: Traditional Spiced Almond Hors d’Oeuvre (Pareve)

In Hebrew, the numerical value of the word for nuts, egoz, is 17, the same as the value of the word tov, good. Which means that the two things are related to each other. Hence the prevalence of nuts, particularly almonds, in traditional Jewish wedding celebrations.

Spiced almonds also fit into very modern celebrations as a tasty hors d’oeuvre for a cocktail hour or hors d’oeuvre reception. They can be made a week before serving, which makes them self-catered-wedding-friendly.

This version comes from Gil Marks’ cookbook, The World of Jewish Entertaining: Menus and Recipes for the Sabbath, Holidays, and Other Family Celebrations. It’s a great go-to cookbook for celebrations large and small. Marks also includes in his book a more savory version with rosemary and cayenne pepper.

One of the great things about a cookbook collection is remembering how each book came to be on your kitchen bookshelf. I received this book as a gift after teaching for a few terms at the New North London Synagogue. I miss London! And as Shavuout approaches, I really miss the cheesecake at Paradise Bakery on Golders Green Road. Best cheesecake in the world, you used to be only a short walk from home. Sigh. Let’s see… does Mr. Marks include a cheesecake in his cookbook? He has two! I’m feeling better already.

Ingredients for Spiced Almonds
Makes 4 cups

• ¼ cup vegetable oil
• ½ cup honey
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon ground allspice
• ½ teaspoon ground mace or nutmeg
• 4 cups (20 ounces) almonds
• Optional: Salt to taste

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees.

Combine the oil, honey, and spices. Add the almonds and toss to coat. Spread in a single layer on a baking sheet.

Roast, stirring occasionally, until the almonds are golden and crisp, about 15 minutes. If desired, sprinkle with salt. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Make Ahead Option

Store the almonds in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week.

Dessert Hors d’Oeuvre Recipe: Chocolate Truffles (Parve, Vegetarian)

Photo: Borrowed & Bleu (www.borrowedandbleu.com)

This is the ninth and final hors d’oeuvre recipe in our kosher-fied royal wedding canape reception menu. The total menu serves a 40-person reception.

We had to end this menu with the same treats as The Queen’s canape reception menu: chocolate truffles. The royal wedding reception’s truffles were made with chocolate ganache, however, which includes dairy products. For our kosher meat and parve menu, I’ve substituted parve chocolate truffles with bourbon. I’ve served them a number of times, and they are always a big hit.

This recipe comes from New Kosher Cuisine for All Seasons. The contributor, Sara Abramovitz, calls them bourbon balls and writes that her great grandmother brought this treat to America from Bohemia, where they were an important part of every special occasion.

The truffles look great on a buffet, generously piled on a raised platter. They can be made several months ahead and frozen, which makes them a great friend to any self-catered celebration. For a 40-person reception, I recommend making two batches.

Ingredients for Chocolate Truffles

Yields 38-40 truffles

• 1 3/4 cups parve vanilla wafer crumbs
• 1 cup peacan pieces (or substitute walnuts or almonds)
• 4 Tablespoons unsweetened cocoa
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup bourbon whiskey or rum
• 3 Tablespoons light corn syrup
• Ground nuts, powdered sugar, cocoa, coconut, or instant coffee powder

Instructions for Chocolate Truffles

1. Pulverize wafer crumbs very finely in a food processor. Place them in a large bowl.
2. Pulverize the pecan pieces in the food processor to very fine crumbs and add to wafers in the bowl.
3. Add all the other ingredients to the bowl and work together first with a fork and then with your hands.
4. Form into balls about 1-inch in diameter. Roll in ground nuts, powdered sugar, cocoa, coconut, or coffee powder.
5. Balls can be served cold or at room temperature.

Make Ahead Option

The balls can be frozen for up to three months before they are rolled in the nuts or other finishing ingredients.

See the full Kosher-fied Royal Wedding Hors d’Oeurve Reception Menu

√ More new wedding planning posts…

Recipe: Haddock Fishcake with Pea Guacamole (Parve, Vegetarian)

This is the sixth hors d’oeuvre recipe in our kosher-fied royal wedding canape reception menu. The total menu serves a 40-person reception.

Will and Kate’s canape reception included smoked haddock fishcakes with pea guacamole. Haddock fishcake we do in traditional Jewish cuisine. The pea guacamole we will, like the Brits, borrow from Mexico.

The fish cake comes from The New Complete International Jewish Cookbook, which has a lot of classic Jewish and classic American recipes for entertaining a crowd. The original recipe calls for 2 ½ diameter patties, but I’ve reduced the size to 2″ to produce patties that are more canape-size. That increases the yield to 75.

See the next blog post for the pea guacamole.

Ingredients for Fried Fish Patties

Makes 75 two-inch patties.

• 4 lbs. haddock fillet
• 4 lbs. cod fillet
• 8 large eggs
• 2 large onions
• 2 level Tablespoons salt
• 1 level teaspoon white pepper
• 2 level Tablespoons sugar
• ¼ sunflower or other flavorless oil
• 2 cups (8 oz.) medium matzah meal

Instructions for Fried Fish Patty Canapes

1. Wash and salt the fish and leave to drain.
2. Cut the onion in 1-inch chunks and put in the food processor, together with the eggs, seasoning and oil, then process until reduced to a smooth puree. Puree the ingredients in batches is you need to. All the seasonings can be put into the same batch.
3. Pour puree into a large bowl and stir in the matzah meal. Leave to swell.
4. Cut the fish into 1-inch chunks. Put into the food processor, to fill the processor up to halfway. Process the fish in batches if you need to. Process for 5 seconds, until the fish is finely chopped, then add to the egg and onion puree. Blend with a large fork. Once all the fish is processed, mix everything together in the bowl with your hands. The mixture should be firm enough to shape in patties. If it’s very soft, stir in 1 to 2 tablespoons of matzah meal. If it’s too thick, rinse out the food processor bowl with 1 to 2 tablespoons of water and stir that in. Leave for at least a half hour or overnight under refrigeration.
5. To shape, dip the hands into cold water and form the mixture into patties that are 2″ in diameter and 3/4″ thick.
6. Fry in oil that almost covers the patties, or deep fry for speed.
7. The patties can be served warm or cold. The cooked patties keep three days in the refrigerator. To re-crisp, heat in 350 degree oven for about 5 minutes.

Make Ahead Options

1. Cooked patties can be stored in the refrigerator for up to three days using the instructions in the recipe.
2. You can freeze the raw patties up to 3 months. Start the freezing by laying them out in a pan, in layers separated by foil. After they are firm, transfer them to freezer bags. Defrost the patties in single layers on a board, overnight in the refrigerator or 1 to 3 hours at room temperature.

   To serve with the fishcakes: Pea guacamole.

   The next canape: Roast Duck and Fruit Chutney on Fruited Nut Bread

   √ More recent wedding planning posts…

Recipe: Gateau Opera Dessert Canape (Parve)

This is the third hors d’oeuvre recipe in our kosher-fied royal wedding canape reception menu. The total menu serves a 40-person reception.

Photo: cookingathighaltitude.blogspot.com

Traditional gateau opera (opera cake) is made with butter and cream, which is a kosher clash with the meat hors d’oeuvres in our overall menu. So I developed this parve version with some creative substitutions. The biggest substitution is taking out the coffee-flavored buttercream and the ganache and instead using a parve chocolate mousse flavored with coffee and coffee-flavored liqueur. The mousse comes from Evelyn Rose’s The New Complete International Jewish Cookbook. Traditionalists might say that this version isn’t really gateau opera. They might be right, but as someone who attends weddings, I’m not going to feel bad about upping the chocolate quotient in a reception menu.

Ingredients for Parve Gateau Opera Canapes

Makes approx. 70 1″-square canapes

Almond Sponge Cake

• Vegetable oil cooking spray for pan
• 2 cups finely ground almond flour
• 2 cups confectioners’ sugar
• 6 large eggs, plus 6 large egg whites
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 3 tablespoons margarine, melted

Coffee Syrup

• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 teaspoons instant espresso powder

Chocolate Mousse

• 8 oz. parve semi-sweet chocolate
• 8 large eggs, separated
• 4 teaspoons coffee dissolved in 2 Tablespoons hot water
• 3 Tablespoons Tia Maria of other coffee-flavored liqueur
• 1 Tablespoon caster (superfine) sugar

Chocolate Glaze

• 6 tablespoons margarine
• 7 oz. fine-quality bittersweet chocolate (not unsweetened, preferably 70 to 71% cacao), coarsely chopped

Instructions for Parve Gateau Opera Canapes

Make Almond Sponge Cake

1. Heat oven to 425 degrees. Coat two rimmed baking sheets with cooking spray. Line with parchment; spray again.
2. Sift together almond flour and confectioners’ sugar in a mixer bowl. Add whole eggs; beat on medium until light, about 3 minutes. Mix in flour until just incorporated. Transfer batter to a separate bowl.
3. Whisk the egg whites on medium-high in a clean mixer bowl. Gradually add granulated sugar, whisking until stiff, glossy peaks form.
4. Fold meringue, then butter, into batter with a rubber spatula just until combined. Divide between pans. Bake, rotating pans halfway through, until golden brown, 10 to 12 minutes. Let cool completely, then remove from pans and peel off parchment. Store, tightly wrapped, up to overnight.

Make Coffee Syrup

1. Bring sugar and the water to a boil in a small pan over medium heat, stirring until dissolved.
2. Stir in espresso powder.
3. Let cool. Refrigerate up to 3 days.

Make Chocolate Mousse

1. If you haven’t already separated the eggs, do that now.
2. Break up the chocolate and stand in a basin over hot (not boiling) water. Heat gently until melted, then remove from heat (Alternatively, melt uncovered for 1½ on 100 percent power in the microwave).
3. Immediately drop in the egg yolks and beat vigorously until the mixture begins to thicken.
4. Stir in the coffee and liqueur. Allow to go quite cold.
5. Beat the whites until they just hold soft peaks, then beat in the caster sugar.
6. Pour the chocolate mixture into the bowl containing the egg whites and blend together. Chill.

Make Chocolate Glaze

1. Melt margarine and all but 2 tablespoons chopped chocolate in a double boiler or in a metal bowl set over a saucepan of barely simmering water, stirring occasionally, until smooth.
2. Remove top of double boiler and stir in remaining 2 tablespoons chocolate until smooth, then cool glaze until room temperature but still liquid.

Assemble the Cake

1. To assemble, cut cakes exactly in half crosswise into two equal pieces, ending up with four (set one half aside for another use). Place one cake layer on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a cake board. Gently brush 1/3 of coffee syrup over cake; spread. Using an offset spatula, Spread 1 cup mousse over top. Place another layer on top, brush on 1/3 of the syrup, and spread 1 cup of mousse over top. Add third layer, brush on remaining syrup, and smoothly spread 1 cup mousse over top. Cake can be refrigerated, covered, up to 2 days.
2. At least 2 hours before serving, pour glaze over cake; gently spread to completely cover top (don’t worry about sides). Refrigerate until glaze is set, about 1 hour.
3. Trim edges, and cut cake into 1-inch squares using a warm serrated knife (dip in hot water after each cut, and quickly wipe dry, to make sure slices are very clean).

Make Ahead Options

• Make mousse up to 4 days ahead.
• Make coffee syrup up to 3 days ahead.

The next canape: Poached Asparagus with Lemon Sauce

TRY THESE, TOO:

• Recipe: Mini Orange Almond Cakes, Dessert Hors D’Oeuvre (Parve, Non-Dairy)
• Hors D’Hoeurves Recipe: Haddock Fishcake with Pea Guacamole (Parve, Vegetarian)
• Recipe: Poached Asparagus with Lemon Sauce for Dipping (Parve, Non-Dairy Canape)

Read the latest posts

Recipe: Quail Eggs with Celery Salt Canape (Parve/Vegetarian)

This is the second hors d’oeuvre recipe in our kosher-fied royal wedding canape reception menu. The total menu serves a 40-person reception.

Source: tradenote.net, a European quail egg supplier

Quail is kosher, and so are quail eggs. In fact, the Torah tells us that when the Israelites wandering in the desert cried out to God for meat, God sent them quail to eat.

Quail eggs with celery salt are often served as part of an English breakfast. They also make a filling, earthy canape. For breakfast they are usually served in the shell or with the shell half peeled off, but when serving them as reception finger food remove the shells entirely before you serve them.

Ingredients for Quail Eggs with Celery Salt

Makes 60 eggs.

• 5 dozen quail eggs
• 2 Tablespoons celery seeds
• 6 Tablespoons kosher salt (sea salt)
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• Garnish: Enough leafy herbs to generously line the serving basket or platter.

Instructions for Quail Eggs with Celery Salt

1. Boil half of the eggs at a time. Bring a large pot of water to boil over moderately high heat. Boil the eggs for 5 minutes. Rinse immediately under cold water.
2. Peel and dry the eggs.
3. Grind or crush the celery seeds, salt, and pepper together. Keep the celery salt covered and dry until ready to use.
4. For an attractive presentation on the buffet, put the peeled eggs in a basket or on a plate generously lined with leafy herbs. Put the celery salt in a bowl alongside the eggs.

Make-ahead Option

Boil the eggs a day ahead. Store in the refrigerator. Peel before serving.

The next canape: Parve Gateau Opera Dessert Canape

√ Read more recent posts…

Special Wedding Details: Catoctin Cocktail with Kosher, Organic, Rye Whisky

Source: catoctincreekdistilling.com

Every once in a while I get really excited about bringing you a new find.
This is one of them: Catoctin Creek distilled spirits from Catoctin Creek distillery.

The distillery, located in Virginia, is only two years old. All their whiskys, brandies, and other distilled spirits are certified kosher, certified organic, and — based on all the awards they’ve won — certified delicious.

I’m all for choosing one or two wedding details that will surprise and delight your guests, and I’m all for serving one amazing featured drink in lieu of springing for a full bar. A featured cocktail using a Catoctin Creek spirit fits the bill. The Catoctin Coctail recipe and description below are from Catoctin Creek’s website, catoctincreekdistilling.com.

Show off the cool looking bottles at the bar so everyone knows they’re getting something new.

Catoctin Cocktail

Source: catoctincreekdistilling.com

This is a variant on the classic “Canadian Cocktail” but is so much better when made with a 100% rye whisky. Mmmmm….. delicious, eh!
.
2 oz Catoctin Creek Organic Rye Whisky
1/2 oz Cointreau or triple sec
1/2 tsp superfine sugar
1 dash bitters (Peychauds is a good one)
.
In a shaker half filled with ice cubes, combine all the ingredients. Shake well, strain and pour into a cocktail glass.

On Project Wedding: How to Make Your Own Wedding Cake

Source: ProjectWedding.com; Make a Homemade Wedding Cake!

A must share for backyard wedding mavens: Project Wedding has just posted instructions for assembling a wedding cake, decorated with herbs and greenery. Sweet.
.
If you need to bake a non-dairy, (parve) wedding cake or whip up some non-dairy frosting, see these recipes at Backyard Huppah:

• Hazelnut Wedding Cake Recipe for 50 People
• Delectable Non-Dairy Frosting Recipe for Homemade Wedding Cake

Go to cake instructions at Project Wedding…

Pomegranate and Pear Salad Recipe (Parve)

Continuing our celebration of pomegranate wedding details, this is a recipe for pomegranate and pear salad; great for an autumn or winter wedding. The recipe and photo were shared by JPMJ on allrecipes.com.

Ingredients for Pomegranate and Pear Salad

Serves 8

• 12 cups green leaf lettuce, rinsed and torn
• 4 Bartlett or Anjou pear
• 1 1/3 cup pomegranate seeds
• ¼ cup vegetable oil
• ½ cup pomegranate juice
• ¼ cup lemon juice
• 4 teaspoons prepared Dijon-style mustard
• 2 tablespoons honey
• ground black pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Divide the lettuce between two bowls. Halve and core the pear, then cut each half in slices. Divide the pear slices and pomegranate seeds among the two bowls and mix gently.
2. Combine the vegetable oil, pomegranate juice, lemon juice, mustard, honey, and pepper in a saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat; reduce heat and simmer, stirring frequently, until the dressing thickens slightly, about 2 minutes. Pour the warm dressing over the salads and serve.

Make Ahead Option

You can make the dressing the day before. Refrigerate until ready to use. Reheat before using.