A holiday feast of Jewish homecooking

We roasted bell peppers in the oven, together with the felafel shells, and prepared a pickling liquid for the peppers. We mixed ground beef and chicken together with plenty of herbs and spices to make delightful meatballs known as kubbeh, which where enclosed in a dough of semolina and subsequently cooked with boiling sliced beets. 

The yummy salad was made of a mix of vegetables I would not normally throw together, but was so addictive we almost polished off two large bowls. Then there was a terrific shawarma hack that needed only chicken, olive oil and shawarma seasoning.

One of the highlights of the meal was fat eggplant, roasted over the burner till the skin was charred. Then it was simply split open, spread with my homemade tahini (sesame) spread and sprinkled with paprika.

This homey, Jewish meal was not only fast and easy to make, it was healthy, inexpensive and delicious.

The Jews themselves celebrate a Festival of Lights in December called Hannukah, and this year it falls on Christmas Day. 

No matter what country, race or religion we belong to, we share the same planet and on a day when we can come together to share stories over a meal we cooked together, our differences simply melt away. Food and friendship unite us all.

Here are Sharon’s recipes (plus mine for tahini) which I hope you will enjoy trying out!

Felafel

Felafel is best made with dried chickpeas, which you can buy from Assad’s. There are branches of Assad’s on Timog Avenue in Quezon City, Jupiter Street in Makati and United Nations Avenue in Manila.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups dried chickpeas, soaked overnight in water and drained
• 1 tsp. minced garlic
• ½ cup each chopped fresh coriander, Italian flat leaf parsley and curly parsley, or any combination of those herbs
• ½ tsp. each salt and pepper
• 1 tsp. (or more) shawarma seasoning (available at Aldimashqi Grocery, located at the Brother Andrew Hall on Taft Avenue)
• Procedure:

Process all the ingredients, ideally in a food processor because you will not be adding any liquid. Taste and check for seasoning.

Lightly grease mini muffin pans with vegetable oil; alternatively, you can use mini paper liners but be sure to remove them before serving. Put about a tablespoon of felafel mixture in each cup and press against the sides and bottom with the spoon to create an indentation. Bake at 375F about 17 to 20 minutes, or till browned at the edges. Carefully remove from the muffin pan. If any of them break, crumble them and sprinkle on top of the salad.

To serve, place a half teaspoon of tahini at the bottom of each felafel cup and top with a spoonful of the Jewish salad. Serve as an appetizer.

To make regular felafel, shape the mixture instead into balls and fry till golden brown.

Jewish Salad

For this, you will need more or less equal amounts of finely chopped vegetables, and you can vary the combination based on what you have on hand:

Ingredients:

• 2 cups finely chopped tomatoes
• 1 cup each finely chopped onion, cabbage, celery and herbs such as fresh coriander and parsley
• ¼ cup olive oil
• Juice of ½ lemon
• ¼ tsp. each salt and pepper
• Procedure:

Combine the vegetables with the olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Check for seasoning.

• Tahini
• Ingredients:
• ½ cup sesame seeds
• 1 tsp. sesame oil
• ½ cup olive oil
• ½ tsp. minced garlic
• 1/8 tsp. each salt, pepper and cumin

Procedure:

Toast the sesame seeds in a dry frying pan until they turn light brown or smell toasted. Immediately transfer to a blender (or they will continue cooking) and add the other ingredients. Blend until smooth and check for seasoning.

Roasted Eggplant with Tahini

This should be made with the fat, round eggplants rather than the more common long thin ones.

Ingredients:

• 2 eggplants
• Tahini
• Paprika
• Procedure:

Roast the two unpeeled eggplants over an open flame until the skin is charred. Slice them diagonally and spread with tahini. Sprinkle with paprika to serve.

Red Bell Pepper Pickle

This delicious pickle complements everything in this menu!

Ingredients:

• 6 red bell peppers
• 3 tbsps. vinegar
• 2 tbsps. sugar
• Salt and pepper to taste

Procedure:

Roast the red bell peppers in the oven until very tender. Place them, still hot, in a plastic bag so they will steam and be easier to peel. Peel the peppers and remove the seeds.

In a small saucepan, boil a cup of water with the vinegar and sugar. Add the bell peppers and simmer for about 5 minutes.

Shawarma Chicken Hack

Ingredients:

• 1 kilo boneless chicken thighs, skin removed
• 2 tbsps. olive oil
• ½ cup or more shawarma seasoning (see above)
• Procedure:

In a baking tray, combine the chicken thighs with the oil and the shawarma seasoning. The mixture should look dry, like a spice rub. Bake in a hot 400F oven until the chicken has some browned, even burnt parts. Chop and serve.

Kubbeh

Ingredients:

• 1/2 kilo each ground chicken and beef
• 1 tsp. minced garlic
• ½ cup each chopped fresh coriander and parsley
• ½ tsp. each salt, pepper, paprika, cumin and shawarma seasoning
• 2 cups semolina (available at Santi’s and Middle Eastern groceries)
• Lukewarm water
• 2 tbsps. vegetable oil
• 1 chopped onion
• Juice of 1 ½ lemons
• 6 beets, peeled, halved and sliced
• ½ tsp. each salt and pepper

Procedure:

For the kubbeh, combine the ground meats, garlic, herbs and spices.

In a mixing ball, combine the semolina with enough lukewarm water to make a soft spongy dough. Flatten about 2 tablespoons of dough in your palm and top with a heaping tablespoon of meat. Enclose the meat with the dough and place them on an oiled tray while you make the rest. If there is time, chill them in the freezer.

Heat the vegetable oil in a large pan or wok. Add the onion and cook until softened, then add the beets and about 4 cups water. Bring to a boil then drop in the kubbeh. Simmer for about 30 minutes or until cooked through.