One of my resolutions for the new year is to add some variety and Jewish ta’am (taste) to my breakfasts with make-ahead recipes suitable for weekdays or weekends.
Breakfast Cholent combines the Ashkenazi Sabbath stew with shakshouka, a Sephardic and North African dish of eggs cooked in a tomato sauce. Marrying two traditions, the Ashkenazi beans and potatoes are slow cooked in exotic seasonings, and the eggs are cooked in their shells.
Serve the cholent immediately, or peel the eggs, return them to the stew and store in the refrigerator. Gently reheat in a pot on the stovetop to serve.
Kugel Minis use granola instead of noodles. Made the size of cupcakes, they are easy to grab on the go. Choose a granola that is not too sweet, tastes mainly of cinnamon and is not overly spiced. If you use frozen berries, they should be individually frozen and not packed in syrup.
Breakfast Cholent with Shakshouka Flavor
Serves 6
2 Tbs. plus 1 Tbs. olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
1 Tbs. minced garlic
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
1/2 tsp. dried ground oregano
1 tsp. paprika
1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp. sugar
1 cup chopped red and/or yellow peppers
11/2 cups cubed, peeled potatoes (cut in 1/4-inch chunks)
2 (15 oz.) cans white kidney (cannellini) beans, rinsed and drained
28 oz. can diced tomatoes with liquid
1/2 cup vegetable broth or water
1 Tbs. tomato paste
6 eggs (in shells)
2 packed cups fresh spinach leaves, trimmed of any hard stems
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh parsley
6 lemon wedges, optional
hot sauce, optional
Set a large slow cooker on high. Add 2 Tbs. oil. Heat covered for 15 minutes. Stir in onions. Cook, covered, 15-20 minutes until onions are becoming translucent. Stir in garlic, salt, black pepper, oregano, paprika, red pepper flakes and sugar. Stir in peppers, potatoes, beans, tomatoes with their liquid, broth and tomato paste.
Scrub eggshells with warm water and a vegetable brush. Bury eggs in the vegetables. Top with spinach leaves. Do not stir spinach into cholent. Cover and turn to low heat. After 3-4 hours (or before going to bed), stir spinach into cholent, keeping eggs buried. Cover. Cook on low for another 8-9 hours (11 hours total from when the eggs are added), until the potatoes are cooked through but still firm.
Remove lid. Stir in remaining oil. Taste. Correct seasonings. If too soupy, cook uncovered on high until thickened. If too thick, add additional liquid. Remove eggs. Rinse under cold water and shell.
To serve, ladle cholent into individual bowls. Slice eggs and arrange on top. Sprinkle with parsley. Serve with lemon wedges to squeeze on top of stew. Pass hot sauce if desired.
Granola Kugel Minis
Makes 12
paper cupcake liners
4 eggs, beaten
1 cup milk
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
3/4 cup sugar
7 oz. container plain Greek-style yogurt
3 cups granola
2 cups (total) raspberries and/or blackberries
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a regular-size, 12-count muffin or cupcake tin with paper liners.
Whisk eggs with milk, vanilla, cinnamon, sugar and yogurt until smooth. Stir in granola and berries.
Measure a heaping 1/4 cup of kugel batter in each cupcake liner. Put tin in oven on baking tray. Bake 45-50 minutes until firm. Remove from oven. Let cool in tin for a few minutes and then turn out and place on rack. Serve warm or at room temperature. Kugels can be refrigerated or frozen (and then defrosted) and reheated in microwave or low oven.
Faith Kramer is a Bay Area food writer. Her columns alternate with those of Josie A.G. Shapiro. She blogs at www.clickblogappetit.com. Contact her at [email protected].