Grilled Flatbread

Like the rest of the world, I can usually have some pretty crazy, hectic days.  Delicious, but easy and quick to prepare recipes are a must for busy days! Knowing that I was heading out to run with a friend at 5:30 I decided to get cracking on dinner at about 4 so that everything would pretty much be ready to go when I got back. I quickly peeled and chopped veggies and created a vegetable soup. Next up was to put together the beef chili and let that start simmering.

 I decided that instead of making pasta or rice to go with the chili - we would be eating it on grilled flatbreads. (I found the recipe in a great new cookbook -  "Fresh & Easy Kosher Cooking.) So I mixed up the dough for the flatbreads - it took less than 5 minutes - and set it to rise.

At 5:30 my hubby walked in the door and headed out to run with my friend. Just under an hour later I returned and after catching my breath I went to finish up the flatbreads. The dough had plenty of time to rise and I worked fast to get them onto my Griddler to grill them so we could eat!! A few minutes later all 6 flatbreads had taken a turn on my "grill" and we were ready to eat. The flatbreads were PERFECT and finished to every last drop!

This recipe came from the Fresh and Easy Kosher Cooking cookbook...I have modified the amount of flour and the selection of spices. Enjoy!

Grilled Flatbread

1 tsp sugar
2 3/4 tsp dry yeast
1 cup warm water
2 3/4 cups flour
2 tsp salt
Dried oregano
Granulated garlic

Oil for brushing

Place sugar and yeast in a bowl and then add the water. Allow the mixture to sit for a few minutes to allow the yeast to proof. Add the flour, salt and some sprinklings of oregano and garlic. Mix well. Allow to rise for at least one hour.

Heat Griddler (or grill pan or any indoor grilling thingy) to high. Divide the dough into 6 pieces. Flatten out each piece as best as you can. (The recipe calls for rolling it out - but being that I was in a hurry and my rolling pin is way higher than I can reach - I just opted to flatten it to the best of my ability.) Brush both sides with oil and place on the grill. Grill for a few minutes on each side - happy eating!!

Tomato-Olive Focaccia Bread

Wow! It has been ages since I have last posted to Un-Recipes. Have no fear - while  you may have not read about it recently, my family has still been eating lovely dinners:)

So where have I been? Have you heard about Gan Izzy? Each summer I run a summer day camp for Jewish children - and it keeps me SUPER BUSY! Believe it or not, I have five incredible girls who have moved into my home for the four weeks that they are working as counselors in Gan Izzy. So yes - I am cooking - and for lots of people. We have been eating all kinds of yummy foods and treats and not to worry you will get to read about all of them at some point! (By the way...Gan Izzy is pretty much full for the next two weeks - but if you would like your kids to experience Judaism in really fun fashion, drop  me an email at rashibrashi@me.com and we will see what we can do!)

Sooooo...last week I baked a delicious tomato-olive focaccia bread and every last crumb was finished off. Here is the "recipe", I am pretty sure you will love this one too!

Tomato-Olive Focaccia Bread

Pizza dough (Click here for the recipe I use)

Olive oil

1 small can tomato paste

1 small can sliced black olives

Oregano

Garlic powder

Prepare pizza dough and allow to rise for about an hour. Spray a baking tray with Pam and then spread the pizza dough out on the pan. Pour a small amount of olive oil on the dough and then spread around evenly. Spread the tomato paste evenly on top of the dough. Place the olives all around the dough. Sprinkle with garlic powder and oregano. Bake on 425 for about 15-20 minutes. Delish!!

Pizza Time - But Hold the Cheese

Most people who know me are aware that I have a severe dairy allergy. When people learn this piece of information, the first thing they ask is, "What? You mean you can't eat pizza?" Pizza it seems is a big part of people's lives.

Recently my kids have started coming home from school and asking if they could have pizza. A couple of weeks ago, wanting to make them happy, I told them I could make them a pizza without cheese.  They were uber excited.

This afternoon I decided to surprise them with pizza for dinner. I pulled out my food processor, got out the recipe booklet which came with the machine and got to work.

In the past I haven't really had spectacular results with the pizza dough recipe, so today I decided to read the recipe a little more carefully. (I think I am recipe challenged!!) While reading the instructions I noticed a few tiny words I had never seen before and hoped it was the solution to my problem.

I made the pizza dough, with just a little variation from the recipe and set it to rise. I then began to search my fridge and cabinets for yummy ingredients to top this pizza with.

After assembling the sauce, black olives, slivers of onion and diced red peppers on the pizza dough, it was ready to go into the oven.

My house smelled heavenly as it baked and a short while later a beautiful, dairy-free pizza emerged!

The smiles on Mushky and Shalom's faces when they saw the pizza were priceless!

Pizza was delish - and almost everyone loved it - Shalom simply informed me that he doesn't like pizza with sauce, seems you can't win them all.

Cheeseless Pizza Recipe


1/2 tablespoon yeast
a little sugar
1 cup warm water
2 1/3 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 tablespoon oil
Hunt's tomato sauce
Hunt's tomato paste
oregano
garlic powder (the granulated kind)
sliced black olives
1/2 fresh red pepper
1/4 of a sweet onion


To Make The Dough: (I use a Cuisinart food processor with the Dough mode and dough blade.)


1.Dissolve 1/2 tablespoon yeast + a pinch or two of sugar,  in 1 cup warm water. Wait for the mixture to foam.
2. Put the flour, salt and oil in the bowl of the food processor. Press Dough and then On.
3. Pour the yeast/water mixture through the small hole in the pusher tube. (This is the piece you would use to push ingredients down the tube. The small hole is to let liquids fall into the bowl at a slow pace - I think this was the step I was missing all these years.)
4. Allow the dough to be processed until it cleans off the sides of the work bowl. I then added around another 1/3 of a cup of flour to keep the dough from being to sticky - and let it process again for 30 seconds. 
5. Remove dough from bowl and allow to rise for about an hour. 
6. Press dough into a big rectangle on a cookie sheet and brush with a little bit of oil.
7. Mix tomato sauce with tomato paste and spread on the dough - don't put sauce near the edges, this way the edges will puff up into a nice crust.
8. Sprinkle sauce with sliced black olives, sliced onion, diced red pepper, oregano and garlic.
9. Bake on 425 for 15-20 minutes.
10. Enjoy!

It's All In The Dough - Challah Recipe

Shabbat is the highlight of my week. As I light the Shabbat candles each week, I feel a special peace as I welcome the Shabbat Queen into my home.  Lighting the candles is truly a beautiful Mitzvah and I look forward to this moment each week.

Of course no Shabbat would be complete without a feast fit for a king. Along with the delicious foods which are prepared for the special Shabbat dinner, there is always Challah.

It is interesting to note that Challah got its name from a special Mitzvah which goes along with the yummy bread we eat each Friday night. Thousands of years ago, during the times of the Beit Hamikdash (Temple), people would bring a portion of their dough to the Beit Hamikdash for the Kohanim. This was a good reminder that everything we have comes from G-d, and indeed, a portion was given to G-d's workers, the Kohanim.

Today we no longer have the Temple and can no longer bring a portion of our dough as a gift to G-d. Instead, we recite a special blessing and then separate a small portion of dough. This small separated piece is then burned, as we recall a time when the dough was brought to the Beit Hamikdash, and of course pray that the Temple will soon be rebuilt.

In order to perform this Mitzvah, you separate a piece of dough (about an ounce) and then recite the blessing, "L'hafrish Challah". This Mitzvah is indeed a special one, and is also a special time for saying personal prayers. It is a good moment to pray to Hashem for the health of our family and friends, for sustenance and good, kind children.

After saying the blessing and ones one personal prayers, the dough is burned.

Each week I treasure the moments that I spend alone praying to G-d and acknowledging His goodness and kindness.

I started baking my own Challah probably about 10 years ago and the recipe has evolved over time. My recipe started out with a recipe I found in a cookbook and was then merged with the recipes I received from two aunts. Over time, the recipe has continued to change...and so here it is in its current form:)

Happy Challah baking!!!

6 tablespoons yeast
3 1/2 cups warm water
1 1/4 cups oil
1 cup sugar
5 eggs
3 tablespoons salt
around 15 cups of flour 


1. Place  yeast in a bowl with about 2 teaspoons of sugar. Dissolve with the warm water. This is called proofing the yeast. You will see the yeast activate and start to bubble. After about ten minutes you can continue with the rest of the recipe.
2. Add in the oil, sugar, eggs and salt. Mix well. 
3. Add the flour - do a little less than the 15 cups to start. Knead the dough. If the dough is still sticky you will need to keep adding flour until the dough is a nice, soft, smooth and not sticky texture.
4. Once your dough is ready, allow it to rise for 30 minutes, punch down and allow to rise again.
5. Shape your challah, allow to rise once more. 
6. I glaze my Challah with a mixture of 1 egg and some water. 
7. I bake my Challah on 400 for about 20 minutes or so.