Cookery

Another delicious recipe from Denise Phillips

For more recipes and inspiration visit my website: www.jewishcookery.com

Roasted Red Pepper Corn Bread

Corn bread is delicious with soups, as a snack or to serve with guacamole, vegetable chilli or part of your South American meal. It uses baking powder as its raising agent so it’s quick to prepare and enjoy. Will freeze too! They are also perfect with a cheese board or salad as part of a buffet.

Preparation Time: 25 minutes Cooking Time: 30 minutes Serves: 10

Ingredients 1 red pepper– cut in to quarters with seeds and white membrane removed 225g cornmeal/ polenta 300g plain flour 50g caster sugar 4 teaspoons baking powder 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper 1 teaspoons smoked paprika 100g grated mild cheddar 350ml milk 150ml sour cream 2 large eggs 150g frozen corn kernels, thawed

To serve: spreadable cheese

Method 1. Preheat the grill to its highest setting 2. Place the red pepper on a baking tray and grill until the skins are completely charred. Place in a bowl, cover with cling film, and let sit until cooled, 5 to 10 minutes. Peel off the skins and roughly chop the flesh. 3. In a bowl, whisk together cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, cayenne pepper, paprika and grated cheddar. 4. In a separate medium bowl, whisk together milk, sour cream and eggs. Pour wet ingredients into bowl with dry ingredients and whisk until completely combined. Stir in chopped peppers and corn. 5. Transfer mixture into a 2 kg loaf tin lined with baking parchment paper or use a muffin tin lined with paper cases. 6. Bake until skewer inserted into middle of the cornbread comes out clean, about 25 minutes or 15 minutes for small muffins. 7. Leave to cool on a wire rack for about 5 minutes. 8. Slice and spread with the spreadablecheese.

Speedy Seudah Delights

BY DENISE PHILLIPS

One of the joys of Shabbat is dining with family and friends. For most of us this will mean Friday night dinner, but we should not forget about the Seuda Shelishit. This is the last meal of Shabbat and it is usually eaten before Mincha and Maariv (the afternoon and evening services). Traditional foods on the menu include bread or mezonot bread, fruit and fish.

The word ‘seudah’ itself derives from the verb saad meaning to sustain, or support (Genesis 18:5, Psalms 104:5). By inviting guests, bringing in the poor and the lonely, and sharing wisdom as well as food, the seudah is a way of doing good and as they say, those that eat together, stay together.

Because of the constraints of cooking on Shabbat, careful preparation is required in advance and the meal needs to be simple to prepare. I tend to focus on foods that do not wilt or shrivel, and dishes that are easy to serve and above all quick to make – as time is always of the essence. • Kugels of all varieties – vegetables like carrots, courgettes, potato, savoury lokshen, broccoli, sweet potato, caramelised onion are all good combinations. Or make them sweet with apples, challah with raisins, noodles with cranberries and ‘milk’ or cream cheese. • A side of marinated salmon – one of my new recipes involves curing the salmon with beetroot and it is just perfect to slice

up and enjoy with classic potato salad • More modern meal options include

‘Poke bowls’: salads that include cooked vegetables, eggs, noodles, smoked or fresh salmon, avocado, edamame beans, sesame seeds. You can place a group of ingredients in the centre of the table for people to help themselves.

Keep the dressing separate with a combination of extra virgin olive oil, sesame oil, soya sauce, mirin, chopped ginger and chili. • Tacos with ready-made fillings are fun and family friendly. Fillings could include: black beans, guacamole, fish goujons, falafel, refried beans, roasted cauliflower, roasted butternut squash, lentils, baked tofu with tahini sauce, baked sweet potato wedges are tasty options. • Coleslaw – the classic ‘Jewish salad’ but it can be made with numerous different ingredients. I like to add crispy noodles and make it with red, white and green cabbage. Use the chopper part of your mixers for a speedy salad! • Savoury pastry tarts are ideal too. Caramelised onion tarte tatin – can be made quick when you use ready-made pastry! • Vegetable muffins and savoury bread like corn bread are delicious with a cheese board or sharing board of dips and accompaniments.