Kosher Oatmeal Fig Cookies

These are basically just oatmeal-raisin cookies with figs instead. I adore figs, though, so I had to concoct some holiday desert including them. You'll need to cut off the stems and chop the figs yourself, as I've never seen chopped figs in my local grocery store. You're welcome to just substitute raisins or dates in their place, but the figs add a nice richness of texture and flavor. These can easily be made vegan/lactose free by substituting dairy-free margarine in the place of butter.

• 2 sticks unsalted butter
• 1 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1/3 cup white sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1.5 tsp vanilla
• 1.5 cups flour
• 2.5 cups quick-cooking oats
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 2 cups chopped mission figs
• 1.5 cup cinnamon chips or toffee chips
• 1/2 cup dried cherries (optional)

Preheat oven to 350.

Beat butter, brown sugar, and white sugar in a bowl until creamy. Add eggs, vanilla, and baking soda. Beat until smooth. Add flour. Mix well. Stir in oats, chopped figs, and cinnamon/toffee chips.

Drop by tablespoonfulls onto greased cookie sheet. Place one dried cherry on center top of each cookie. Bake 10 - 12 minutes, until golden brown. Let cool 2 minutes before removing from cookie sheet (otherwise the toffee/cinnamon chips will stick to your spatula, making a mess.)

Makes around 4 dozen.

Kosher Turkey Val Soup

I tried to wait until we were out of Thanksgiving leftovers, but my new bean collection just calls to me. Instead of waiting, I've decided to combine something old and something new into something tasty. This soup is loosely inspired by the seasonings in white chilli (sans dairy), with the Val dal substituted for navy beans and the addition of seasoned tomatoes because, what the heck, they're in nearly every dal recipe I've ever seen.

• 4 cups chicken or turkey stock
• 2 cups shreaded chicken or turkey (leftovers)
• 2 cups Val dal
• 1 can Italian Seasoned tomatoes
• 1 empty tomato can of water
• 2 medium onions, diced
• 1 tbsp minced garlic
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

Put everything in a large soup pot and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 2 - 3 hours, until beans reach desired tenderness. Be careful not to overboil the soup, or these beans will disintegrate and turn into a gross mush.

Variations:

• Try adding 2 ears of fresh corn
• Try adding one diced red or green bell pepper
• I'm still new to Val dal, but I'm guessing this might be a good crockpot soup. Try dumping all the ingredients into a crockpot set to low before leaving for work in the morning, then serving it up for dinner. If you try this, please email and let me know how the beans turn out.

Jungle Jim's International Market

My husband and I just got home from a week long business trip to Columbus. Cincinnati is on the way back home, so we stopped at Jungle Jim's International Market. Words can not express the wonder of this store. If you're a foodie living under 3 hours drive from Cincinnati, this place is worth the pilgrimage. Honest. If you're a world traveler with a craving for anything from fresh Thai Durian fruit to German RitterSport Cornflake Chocolate, then you can not resist the siren song of this massive warehouse of imported, rare, and just darn tasty foods. I don't make it often, so when I do go, I try to limit myself to a theme. Otherwise, it's just too easy to pick up $300 in fascinating imports and find yourself with no money left for staples the rest of the month. This visit, I was in bean heaven. In addition to my usual beloved chick peas, I brought home Gula Artor beans from Sweden, Vatana white peas, Val Dal, and the far more common Toor Dal and Yellow Split Peas one can find at any good Indian grocery. I've already got plenty of ordinary red, green, and brown lentils at home. To be honest, I don't have a clue what Vatana white peas or Gula Artor taste like, but I can't wait to find out.

Kosher Sausage Balls - edited

It's college basketball season again, which in my household means high cholesterol snacks and an an inverse relationship between athletic prowess and viewer sloth. These sausage balls are a great alternative for either sports fans keeping kosher or lactose intolerant sports fans.

• 4 cups (about 1 pound) kosher ground beef sausage (the sort you turn into patties, not the sort you eat on a bun)
• 3 cups cheddar flavor soy cheese
• 2 cups parve biscuit mix, ala Bisquick (which is Kosher Dairy) or 2 cups "home made Bisquick" from below.

Mix the three ingredients into a hard dough. This will take some elbow work. Do not add any water. The fat in the sausage adds more than enough moisture.

Preheat oven to 400F. Spray a dark cookie sheet with non-stick spray. Roll dough into walnut sized balls. Cook for 12 - 15 minutes (depending on how browned you like your balls).

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Edit:

If you've been to any restaurant in the south, you've probably had this conversation.

"What're you drinking, honey?" asks the waitress

You flip to the back of the menu, searching for beverages, then give up and say, "I'll have a Coke."

"What kind?"

You blink twice, then repeat slowly, "A Coke."

The waitress shrugs. "We've got Pepsi, Sierra Mist, and Sweet Tea."

"No Coke?" You start searching the back of the menu again. The deserts all look good.

The waitress sighs heavily. "I said we've got Pepsi, Sierra Mist, Sweet Tea - oh, I forgot. We've also got Dr. Pepper."

"I'll just have a water, thanks."

By the same token, when I say "Bisquick" I mean, "whatever biscuit mix is appropriate." I know better. Bisquick is an easily recognizable name brand product, and I should remember that people reading recipes take ingredients literally.

Folks who keep Kosher could tell that recipe wasn't written correctly (thanks for the quick comment) but those who are here because they're allergic to dairy or lactose intolerant might've been in some serious trouble if they took the first version of this recipe literally.

For those who don't live close to a grocery with a good kosher food section, here's a recipe for parve biscuit mix which works just as well as good old name brand "Bisquick."

Source: Budget Cooking-Elegant Dining, The Kosher Experience by Sue Epstein Yield: makes 15 cups

• 12 cups flour
• 1/4 cup baking powder
• 2 tbsp salt
• 1 pound vegetable shortening (soy "butter" works well. Olive oil does not.)

1. Mix together the flour, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. 2. Add vegetable shortening and blend together with a pastry blender, two knives, or your fingertips, until mixture is the same texture as coarse cornmeal. 3. Store in a dry cool place.

Kosher Vegan Garlic Peas

I thought I hated peas as a child. This was because they always came out of a can before being boiled into submission, then served with nothing but a dollop of margarine. I was delighted to discover frozen peas might as well be a different vegetable and the addition of a few spices brings out wonderful richness. The best thing about peas is they're *fast.* This recipe goes from freezer to table in five minutes.

• 1 cup frozen green peas
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 1 tsp minced garlic
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp white pepper

Mix everything in a microwave safe bowl. You do not need any extra water. The minimal bit of ice clinging to the frozen peas is enough. Microwave for 3 - 4 minutes, depending on your microwave. Stir well so all spices and oil are distributed evenly, then serve.

Oh, and in the name of speed, use the pre-minced garlic you can find at any grocery store. There are times to peel and mince your garlic by hand. This is not one of them.

Kosher Clove and Honey Peas

This is a dirt simple side dish you can prepare in five minutes. The sweetness of honey works well with any fruity entree. The cloves temper the sweetness, adding a nice richness of flavor.

• 1 cup frozen green peas
• 1 tbsp honey
• 3 whole cloves (do not use powder!)
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp coarse ground black pepper

Put everything in a microwave safe bowl and mix well. Microwave for 3 - 4 minutes (adjust time for your own microwave.) Stir again while hot, making sure the peas are evenly coated. Serve.

Do not use clove powder! If you do, the flavor will utterly overwhelm your peas, making them inedible. The whole cloves impart a subtle flavor rather than beating your taste buds into submission.

Kosher Crockpot Turkey & Gravy

My Bon Appetit arrived today, reminding me it's time to start planning for Thanksgiving. Half the recipes within seem to be some desperate attempt to make a turkey juicy instead of the sad, dry things so many of us are familiar with come Thanksgiving. My personal solution is to give up on the presentation turkey and instead focus on moistness and taste. Instead of a golden brown roasted bird, I put warm slices of juicy turkey on a pretty platter and let people dig in without having to carve off a hunk of meat. The best part is - it's incredibly simple. Like most crockpot foods, just plug it in and forget about it. No basting, no thermometers. No worries. In addition to reducing your stress, this leaves the oven free for pies, breads, and dressing.

• 5 - 6 pound bone-in turkey breast (or whatever will fit in your crockpot)
• 1 cup white wine (cook with what you drink)
• 4 tbsp minced garlic
• 2 tsp thyme
• 2 tsp basil
• 2 tsp fresh black pepper
• 4 small bay leaves
• 1 cup diced carrots
• 1 cup diced onions

Loosen the skin along the turkey breast, but do not remove it. Mix the garlic, pepper, thyme, and basil into a thick paste. Smear it under the turkey skin, covering as much area as possible. Tuck the bay leaves under the skin as well, two on each side of the breast, and smooth the skin back down over the turkey.

Put the turkey breast into the crockpot and "stuff" the cavity with the diced onions and carrots. This will be a bit of a sloppy mess, but try to get them down around the bones. Pour the white wine over the turkey.

Cook on low for 8 - 10 hours, or overnight.

In the morning, your turkey will be all but swimming in tasty juices. Drain off as much broth as you need for your dressing. Save at least 1 cup of broth for the gravy.

Remove turkey from crockpot and let sit until cool enough to handle. It should nearly fall off the bone. When cool, remove skin and bay leaves. Wait until the turkey cools, though. If you try to cut it fresh from the crockpot, it will be so hot and moist you'll end up with oddly sized turkey hunks. If you let it cool enough to handle, you can slice it into neat, enviable pieces. Drench the slices with warm broth and prepare to serve.

If you like making your own very tasty broth (excellent for December holiday recipes), put the bones, skin, and bay leaves back in the crockpot, fill with water, and leave on "low" overnight. The day after thanksgiving, when trying to figure out what to do with the rest of your leftovers, strain the turkey broth, throwing away the bones and bits. Frozen broth will last at least 3 months (possibly longer, but mine is always used up by then.)

If you don't have your own favourite, here's my e-z turkey gravy recipe.

• 1 cup broth
• 1 cup diced onions and carrots scooped out of broth
• 1 tsp cornstarch
• 1/4 cup cold water
• 1/2 tsp black pepper

Put broth, pepper, and veggies in a blender and blend until smooth. This will considerably thicken the gravy. Transfer to a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Mix cornstarch and cold water until smooth. Gradually add to the broth mix, stirring well. Reduce heat to low and continue stirring to prevent lumps.