Hot pastrami, just like the deli

Wow, it has been a few months, hasn't it? The Kosher Bachelor is still a bachelor but I also recently started a master's degree program, which takes up a lot of my time. I have, however, still been cooking and have a plethora of new dishes to share with you, and I promise that I will get busy with some new posts very soon.

Today I was supposed to meet a friend at a deli for lunch, but unfortunately my friend had to cancel because of illness. This left me with a hankering for a nice, hot deli-style pastrami sandwich. I had some Meal Mart pastrami in my fridge and decided to make my own.

In the past, I've microwaved the meat to get it nice and hot, just like in the delis. But that just doesn't cut it. The best delis don't nuke their pastrami after all, they steam it. So I made myself a makeshift steamer using a pot and a colander. 

First, bring a small amount of water, about 2 inches, to boil. Remove the lid and place a mesh colander over the pot. I used one with a plastic rim, but the steam can warp it so it's best to use a metal one. Place the meat in the colander and then cover it with the lid. In a few minutes you'll have steamed pastrami ready to go on rye bread, roll or to enjoy just on its own.






I enjoyed mine on a challah roll with a side of my red-cabbage coleslaw, leftover from Shabbat.

Enjoy!

*EDIT: I have just learned - and I am shamed that I did not know this soon - that Jan. 14 was National Hot Pastrami Sandwich Day. Consider yourselves now well-prepared for next year!

Mediterranean Meatloaf

   Is there any better comfort food than meatloaf? My mom always made a great meatloaf when I was growing up, and when I decided to start hosting dinners I thought it'd be a great addition to my menu. I wanted to spice it up a little, though, so I added some Israeli flavors. One neighbor says this is the best meatloaf he's ever had and demands I make it every time he comes over. My parents love it, even though my father insists on putting ketchup on it, like he does with everything. I love ketchup and it goes great on meatloaf, but not this meatloaf. For this one, you really want to use the the non-dairy tzatziki sauce. Trust me, it's fantastic. 

Mediterranean Meatloaf 

2 lbs ground beef

2 eggs, lightly beaten

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp ground black pepper

1 ½ tsp onion powder

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp zahatar

1/3 cup matzah meal

½ cup water

Pinch of kosher salt

Dry rub

Black pepper

Zahatar

Kosher salt

In a large bowl, combine the dry ingredients with the meat.  Add in the eggs and mix everything together with your hands. Add in the water (this helps bind it) and continue folding the meat until everything is combined into one giant ball. 

Create your shape and place the meat in a loaf pan that has been greased with cooking spray, smoothing out the edges of the meat. 

Separately, combine some black pepper, zahatar, and a small amount of salt, then rub the mixture over the top of the meatloaf.  This dry rub will give you an added flavor boost. 

 Lightly sprinkle top with salt.

Cook uncovered at 350 degrees for 1 ½ hours or until the top of the meatloaf forms a crust. 

 Tzatziki

½ cup of Tofutti Sour Supreme (pareve sour cream)
2 inches of English cucumber, finely diced
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp paprika

2 tsp dill weed (more to taste)
½ tsp onion powder
Juice of 1 lemon

Kosher salt to taste
Pepper to taste

Scoop out your sour cream into a small bowl and mix in the cucumbers and dry ingredients. Squeeze the lemon juice in (be careful to avoid dropping in seeds). Mix together until the consistency is that of heavy cream, adding more lemon juice as needed to break down the sour cream. Salt and pepper to taste.  

This goes great with the meatloaf, challah, gefilte fish, or just with some veggies as a snack.

Ramen stir fry

You're probably thinking, "Ramen? I haven't had that since college! That's not a real meal for an adult!"

On a rainy and gloomy night (which tonight happens to be), this meal goes perfectly with a cold beer and a good movie.

You could add in pieces of chicken or beef to this as well, and fresh vegetables will, of course, give you a much better flavor. Tonight I decided to keep it simple and pareve, and it was quite tasty.

Ramen stir fry

1 package chicken flavored Oriental ramen noodles (I used Tradition brand)
1 12-oz package of frozen vegetable mix (broccoli, cauliflower and carrots)
2 tbs teriyaki sauce
2 tbs soy sauce
2 tsp sriracha sauce
2 capfuls vegetable oil
1 heaping tsp minced garlic
1 egg
Salt and pepper to taste

Cook the noodles with the seasoning packet according to the package's directions, then drain the noodles and set aside, reserving a few tablespoons of the broth.

 In a non-stick frying pan that has been lightly sprayed with cooking spray, fry the egg and then set it aside.

Heat the vegetable oil in the pan and add the frozen vegetables and the garlic. Turn the heat down to medium and stir until the vegetables are softened and begin to cook.  Add the noodles and stir to combine.

Add the liquid ingredients and stir to coat. Place the fried egg on top and, using your spatula, break it into chunks. Add in the remaining soup and continue stirring until all the veggies, noodles and egg have been coated in the sauces, about five minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste and serve.

Serves two people.

Grilled goat cheese sandwich

Following along with my sandwich kick, I decided to take my grilled cheese to another level. This is a play on my Mediterranean grilled cheese.

Grilled goat cheese sandwich

Basil and garlic flavored goat cheese spread
Ready made tahini spread
Half an avocado (the other half is to enjoy), thinly sliced lengthwise
2 slices whole wheat challah, cut about 1-inch thick
Thin slices of seedless cucumber

Spread the goat cheese on one slice of challah and the tahina on the other.

Place the avocado over the goat cheese and the cucumbers on the tahina. Sprinkle some zaatar over the cucumbers.

Heat a cap-full of olive oil in a large frying pan. Bring the sandwich together and place in the pan when the oil is hot - splash a few drops of water and if the oil pops, it's ready. Reduce the heat to medium and let the sandwich sit about 2 minutes. Flip the sandwich and let sit another minute so that the cheese melts and both sides are browned.

Remove the sandwich and let it cool for a minute and then slice in half and enjoy!

One of the best PB&J sandwiches you'll ever eat

Yesterday I posted about a video of how to make a PB&J sandwich. Today I actually tried it. Man, I totally been eating PB&J the wrong way! The flavors in this were fantastic. Like Chow recommended, I used sriracha sauce and fresh basil, but I also added some sesame seeds. I think a little lime juice might go well with it as well, for an extra tang and a little more of that pad thai flavor. I might have to try that tomorrow.

In case you haven't noticed, I am now on a sandwich kick. I stocked on assorted cheeses at the supermarket last night and will be posting about various experiments for the next few days.  One standby I've been eating for years is a Mediterranean grilled cheese I created, which is basically feta and schug (or harissa) stuffed inside a pita, which is then grilled in olive oil. Zaatar is then sprinkled on the outside of the sandwich as well.

But you're here for PB&J! So here is what I did.

Two slices of challah, cut about 1-inch thick
Chunky peanut butter
Grape jelly
Approximately 7 fresh basil leaves
Sriracha sauce
Sesame seeds

Spread the peanut butter and jelly on opposite sides of the bread.

Lay out the basil leaves on the jelly.

Drizzle the sriracha sauce on the peanut butter and then sprinkle the sesame seeds over it.

Close the sandwich.

In a large frying pan, heat a small amount of olive oil (it's OK to use the cheap stuff for this), about half a cap-full.  When the oil is hot, reduce the heat to medium and place the sandwich in the pan.

You don't want to overdo it, you just want the bread to get a nice, golden brown, so keep a close eye on the sandwich. I recommend maybe 30 seconds on each side.

Remove the sandwich using a slotted spatula to drain off excess oil, and set aside for a minute. After the sandwich cools a little, slice it down the middle and enjoy.

Making PB&J

I just had to share this video on how to make the perfect peanut butter and jelly sandwich from Chow.com. One of the key ingredients, as most people already know, is bread, but imagine my surprise when Chow recommended using challah.

Challah makes great French toast and bread pudding, and tastes great with some chopped liver lathered on top. But PB&J? Hadn't thought about it before, but it makes sense. And I have actually been using challah rolls for all sorts of sandwiches already, including PB&J, but now I will try slicing off that big challah loaf and, as Chow recommends, adding some sriracha and basil, which basically sounds like a Pad Thai sandwich - which sounds delicious. 

On my way to the market now to restock my PB&J supplies, and it looks like I know what I'm making for lunch tomorrow. I will be sure to update you on my progress.

Beat the heat with a pickle

Boy, is it hot outside. What better snack is there than a crisp, cool, refreshing, sour pickle?

With people heading out to barbecues and picnics, I don't think it's coincidence that July is also National Pickle Month. I gave you a great recipe for potato salad last week, and one of the key ingredients in that potato salad is pickles. In a recent article for JTA, I explored the history of the kosher dill and pickle popularity.

Enjoy!

Popularized in America by Jews, pickles pack a punch

And after this experience, I think I may just try some home-pickling of my own! Stay tuned for results!