Strawberry and Cilantro Butter

The summer is flying by, I say this because my nephew started school today. Already!

Before the summer is completely gone, do something fun with summer fruits and veggies. You don't have to just use them for salads, you can turn them into delicious flavored butters to put on all your kosher soul food.


Here are two of my favorite..strawberry and cilantro.

Nosh on,
~Shoshi

Strawberry Butter:

1 lb. (4 sticks) sweet butter, softened
3/4 c. finely chopped fresh strawberries
3-5 tbsp. powdered sugar


Combine all ingredients in blender or food processor with steel knife. Whip until light. Mixture makes approximately 2 1/2 cups of strawberry butter.


Cilantro butter:

1/4 pound softened sweet butter
1/4 cup fresh cut cilantro

Whip cilantro and butter together until smooth and creamy, there it is quick and easy!

Cucumber, Tomato, Red Onion, and Feta Salad

Yesterday I was at the Farmer's Market in Harlem and I made a kick ass salad. It was so delicious, it could be that all of the veggies were fresh, fresh, fresh..

The ingredients in the salad were:

Cucumbers
Tomato
Red Onion
Feta Cheese
Balsamic Vinegar
Olive Oil

Trust me this is fabulous, make the salad to taste. Since it's summer all of the veggies are in season which makes this even more delicious!

Drop me a text @729669 at my Say Now account. Leave me your comments, recipes, etc.. My food column "Raw Adventures" is back this month in Brown Eyez Magazine, stay tuned for more info..

Nosh on,
Shoshi
www.lusciouslifestylediva.com

Kentucky Derby Pie

Oh, my good friend and her hubby are coming to NYC for a month. We were going to have a shindig for his b-day, but it turns out their roof won't be ready. I still think I want to make him something special and I know just the thing...

Derby Pie! He is from Kentucky and what could have more soul in it than a Kentucky Derby Pie, packed with fudgy chocolate and nuts. I think I will make a fresh whipped cream to go with it(store bought is fine). Now that is kosher soul at it's finest. D~Lish!

The recipe is below...nosh on..nosh on!

~Shoshi
Luscious Lifestyle Diva

Kentucky Derby Pie

Ingredients:
1 cup Sugar
1 cup Light corn syrup
4 Eggs
1/2 cup butter -- melted
1 cup Chopped pecans
1 cup Chocolate chips
1 teaspoon Vanilla
2 tablespoons Bourbon (adds a kick, but optional)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 F.

Combine sugar, corn syrup and eggs in mixing bowl. Beat at low speed until well blended. Stir in remaining ingredients and pour into a 9" unbaked pie shell. Bake 45-50 minutes or until set.

Shoshi's Peach Sundae

Hey kosher foodies,

Did you eat alot over the 4th of July weekend or what. I know I did. Between the barbque and cookies, I think I gained more than a few pounds. It's time to scale it back a bit. Below is a quick and easy recipe with peaches, ricotta, and pecans that I like to call a Peach Sundae..nice, low cal, easy to make, and simply yummers.

So, if you are in the NYC area, I will be at the Grassroots Farmer's Market, on 145th & Eddgecombe, next Saturday (12th)from 11:00am to 1:00pm doing a cooking demo with organic veggies and fruit. If you are in the area stop by and say "Shalom".

Nosh on,
Shoshi

Peach Sundae

1/2 cup of skim ricotta
1/4 cup of pecans, chopped
1/4 peaches, sliced
1 tablespoons raw honey (optional)

Grab a small bowl, put in peaches, top with ricotta, then pecans, drizzle on the honey. Get to noshin'

Feta Dip with Scallions

I simply love it when I get my Everyday Food in the mail; there are some great recipes in the August issue. From the watermelon lemonade, fried green tomatoes, to the tomato bread salad with olives and mint… everything sounds delicious.

For an upcoming event I will be making the Feta Dip with Scallions. I know it will be a major hit. Nosh on!

~Shoshi


Feta Dip with Scallions

8 ounces feta
1 cup reduced fat sour cream
2 scallions, sliced
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
Kosher salt
Ground Pepper

Place feta in a small bowl, mash with a fork. Mix in sour cream, scallions, and lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper. Can be refrigerated and covered up to 3 days.

Incredible Iced Mocha

Yesterday I made this for a bridal shower that I cooked for. It was a huge hit, I had to make more because everyone could not get enough. It went perfect with the fresh veggies and mozzarella sandwiches that I whipped up

This is perfect for the summer months! Stop giving all your money to Starbucks and become your own barista….

Nosh on,
Shoshi


Incredible Iced Mocha

3 ½ oz. bittersweet chocolate, broken into pieces
1 tablespoon sugar
1 ¼ cup whole or low fat milk
2 cups fresh, hot black coffee
4 scoops of vanilla bean ice cream
Ice cubes

Put the chocolate, sugar, and milk into a heavy saucepan and stir over low heat until melted and smooth. Bring to a boil, then beat constantly. Remove from stove and mix in coffee. Let the mixture cool, then chill. After it is chilled, put in a blender, add the ice cream (if using) then blend until smooth. Fill chilled glasses with ice cubes, pour in mocha drink and serve. YUM!

Bakespace.com

When I was at the last Cupcake Social soiree, I found about about a yummy website called Bakespace.com. Some call it the Myspace for bakers and cooks..I call it a great idea.

BakeSpace.com was created by media producer (and avid baker) Babette Pepaj to help make the search a fun, rewarding and inherently social experience. BakeSpace combines the functionality of a traditional online recipe database, utility of an online food forum/blog and the fun of an online social network with a unique "recipe swap" platform.

If you are into social networking and love food this is for you and if you are not into social networking and love food this is still for you. It's a fab way to share recipes or build up your recipe collection.I just may set up a kosher soul dessert profile.

Nosh on,
~Shoshi
www.yolandashoshana.com

Don Q Rum= YUM!

While I was at the liquor store, a lovely woman offered me a rum and coke. Since I was there I thought why not. Oh, yes...it was my first introduction to Don Q, a smooth Puerto Rican rum (www.donq.com)! The rum was fabulous and even more importantly some of their rums are kosher. YES! What I tried was Don Q Cristal and Don Q Anejo. All I can say is smooth and it is U kosher baby...Check it out.

Nosh on! ~Shoshi

Here are a few drink recipes to try with this fabulous rum:


Don Q Bull Frog

Ingredients
1 shot Anejo Rum
1 shot Vodka
1 shot Tequila
1 shot Blue Curacao
1 shot Gin

Bull Frog Directions:
Add all the shots of Alcohol to a pint glass, turning the mixture Blue then add the Red Bull to create the BULL FROG...Serve Bull Frog in a Pint Glass


Hurricane

2 oz light rum
2 oz dark rum
2 oz passion fruit juice
1 oz orange juice
juice of a half a lime
1 Tbsp simple syrup
1 Tbsp grenadine
orange slice for garnish

Hurricane Directions:
Squeeze juice from half a lime into shaker over ice.
Pour the remaining ingredients into the cocktail shaker.
Shake well. Strain into a hurricane glass.

Hip Kosher

I am up for any book that is titled Hip Kosher, because that is what I am all about! Hip Kosher, written by Ronnie Fein, features 175 easy recipes for kosher cooks (or wanna be cooks). As Fein puts it "You don't have to be Jewish to eat or cook kosher food." So true….

Fein gives great explanations for what kosher food is and breaks it down so that anyone can understand. Also Fein gives the kosher cook essentials for their kosher kitchen (I happen to agree with everyone of them).

As for the recipes, they are nicely separated by topics, with helpful tips thrown in. There are some nice spins on traditional Ashkenazi and Sephardic dishes, so this is a book for kosher cooks who want to experiment!

I will be adding most of side dishes to my repertoire for my clients. The recipe for Roasted Plum Tomatoes and Sauteed Carrots with Mints and Shallots makes my mouth water.

Hip Kosher would be a yummy addition to your kitchen library whether you are kosher, thinking about being kosher, or have a special someone in your life that is kosher.

Nosh on,
Shoshi

Jewish Holiday Cooking

I just received Jayne Cohen’s Jewish Holiday Cooking: A Food Lover’s Treasury of Classics and Improvisations from Wiley Publishing. Just in time for my Passover cooking (sigh!). There is a great quote from Cohen on the front flap of the book:

“Food is truly magical. Through the simple act of eating, Jews partake of a mystical but very real communion with their families, their traditions, and the world itself.”

I could not agree more. What I love about the book is how the recipes are broken down by holidays so if you are stuck for a recipe on say Passover or Chanukah...fear not there is something for you. The book includes almost 300 recipes, plus tips and resources. Most of the recipes are from an Ashkenazi perceptive, but there are some great recipes from other Jewish communities. I can’t wait to make the Egyptian Black Eyed Peas w/ Cilantro and the North African Cooked Carrot Salad!

I am thrilled say there is more soul in Jewish Holiday Cooking than most of the other Jewish cookbooks that are out on the market. It would be a wonderful book to add to your collection…you go Jayne Cohen!


Nosh on,
Shoshi
www.yolandashoshana.com

Cilantro Lime Rice

I just got my Everyday Food issue for April and there are some great recipes! To keep the Mexican food theme going, I’ll be sharing a recipe for cilantro lime rice. I know not everyone is a fan of cilantro (referred as coriander)…..you either love it or hate it. I happen to love cilantro all the way from the smell to the, OH so yummy taste!

By the way I was named a Maven for 2008 on ThisNext (the link is on the side of the blog).I am number one at the moment in kosher food. Holla! Make sure to check my list. If you have any suggestions for my list or things you want me to review drop me a line at shoshi@yolandashoshana.com


Nosh on,
Shoshi


Cilantro-Lime Rice

1 cup of long grain white rice
Kosher salt
½ cup of fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons of lime juice
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 garlic clove


In a medium saucepan, bring 1 ½ cups water to a boil. Add rice and a ¼ teaspoon of salt; cover, and reduce to a simmer. Cook until water is absorbed and rice is tender, 16 to 18 minutes.

In a blender, combine cilantro, lime juice, oil, garlic, and 2 tablespoons water; blend until smooth. Stir into cooked rice and fluff with a fork. Now eat, drink, and be merry!

Pumpkin and Red Onion Latkes

I got an email request for a raw latke recipe. Wow, for once I am stumped. That is a recipe I will work on for next year.


Are you bored with the same ole tired potato latkes yet? Try pumpkin latkes. I so love pumpkin, it's good for you and oh yes, oh yes, YUMMY.

Hope you are having a rockin' Chanukah!

Nosh on,
Shosh


Pumpkin & Red Onion Latkes

2 Cups pumpkin raw, coarsly grated and drained
1 Red onion, coarsly grated
1 Egg
1/2 Cup plain white flour
1 tsp Kosher salt
1/3 tsp Garlic powder
A pinch paprika
Pepper, to taste
Vegetable oil (to fry latkes)
Sour cream

Mix all ingredients together until evenly until it looks like a batter. Heat oil in a frying pan until it is very hot.Drop the batter in tablespoons, shaping rounds and flatten. Fry over medium heat until golden brown on each side. Serve with sour cream.

Poppin' Potato Salad

Tomorrow I have a barbecue to go to on the Upper East Side, rain or shine. It's a bit dreary and cold right now in NYC, but I still love a good barbecue. I have a great potato salad recipe to share with you. It's packed full of soul and a great addition to any BBQ. Holla!


Poppin' Potato Saladll

• 2 pounds small red potatoes
• 3 eggs, hard-cooked and dice
• 1/2 cup diced red onion
• 4 green onions, thinly sliced
• 3/4 cup mayonnaise
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 1 tablespoon vinegar
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon fresh dill, or about 2 teaspoon dried dill
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper

PREPARATION:
Cut the potatoes into small chunks and place in a medium saucepan. Cover with water and boil for about 10 to 12 minutes, until just tender. Pour off water, set the pan in a sink or larger pan of cold water to cool the potatoes quickly.
In a large bowl, combine the potatoes with eggs, red onion, and green onions. In another bowl, combine the sour cream, mayonnaise, vinegar, and Dijon mustard. Add to the potatoes and stir gently to combine. Fold in the dill and add salt and pepper to taste. Serves 6.


www.yolandashoshana.com
www.cafepress.com/koshersoul

Spring Food Lovin'

I went to a birthday barbecue in the BK (aka Brooklyn) over the weekend. Here I am sitting in the shade, doing my best to be glamorous.

I love the spring/summer time in NYC, it is time for outdoor eating and entertaining. Coming soon I will share some recipes (yes, think potato salad and beyond..) and fresh tips for entertaining. Yum!

This coming Wednesday I will be all ghetto, as in The Ghetto Gourmet(www.theghet.com). The Ghet is a wandering supperclub with fabulous food and community. The event is sold out, but dinners pop up all the time so check the site for info. Maybe one day we will meet while kickin' it ghetto style!?!?!

Sweet Cornbread

I did get chosen to be a Community Chef with Just Food, which I am thrilled about. Some many people are not aware of there food options and/or how to make good food. And I had an interview with The Laundromat Project about my Harlem community cookbook proposal. So I will let you know if it is a go. And without further ado...Sweet Cornbread. Yum!


Sweet Cornbread

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup yellow cornmeal
1/2 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 egg
1 cup milk
1/3 cup vegetable
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray or lightly grease a 9 inch pan.

In a large bowl, combine flour, cornmeal, sugar, salt and baking powder. Stir in egg, milk and vegetable oil until well combined. Pour batter into prepared pan.

Bake in preheated oven for around 22 minutes (depending on your oven), or until golden brown.

When you pull out of the oven, spread butter over the top.

Let it cool. Serve.

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