We had so much fun cooking out of the newly released (yesterday!) The New Yiddish Kitchen this week! That’s right, a hardback “Jewish cookbook”. But no, it’s NOT just for Jews! Everyone likes bagels, donuts, and brisket – right?!
It was a wonderful educational opportunity for the boys to learn about a different type of culture and cuisine. And for Matt and I, we thoroughly enjoyed trying new flavors and recipes we’d never had before. Honestly, we never even missed not having pork with all the savory options – this book is HUGE! The authors, Simone and Jennifer, made the content approachable and light-hearted, while weaving in plenty of tips and stories they collected from family – which are always my favorite kind of recipes ♥
One thing is for sure – every recipe we ate from this book was full of flavor and came with plenty of comfort and love. But those bagels, oh the bagels! We hate to call out a favorite, but good gracious that recipe is a home-run!! We made both the chocolate chip traditional bagels as well as bagel dogs – the boys were delighted!
Enjoy an exclusive look into this wonderful cookbook, along with an exclusive recipe share of our favorite meal from the week!
Here’s a look at what we ate for dinner this week.
ALL RECIPES FROM THE NEW YIDDISH KITCHEN!
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Monday: Balsamic Braised Short Ribs with Tzimmes (carrots)
Short ribs can seem a little intimidating, but this recipe was so simple and turned out AMAZING. We actually used our InstantPot for the first part of the recipe and then finished via the book instructions and it was magic! Plus, everyone loved the slightly sweetened carrot side dish (which was perfect with the short ribs!).
Tuesday: Brisket with Onions & Porcini Mushrooms and Matzo Ball Soup
Using another perfect brisket from The Organic Butcher of McLean, this was some of the best we’ve had – it was so good that we begged to share this recipe with you! It turned out perfectly tender and went great with the Matzo Ball Soup. This meal combination was by far our favorite of the week (yes, even more than bagels!).
The boys LOVED the “ball soup” too (a huge feat since they often complain about soup given that we have it so often). They are already asking for repeats, so we were thrilled when Jennifer and Simone agreed to let us share this EXCLUSIVE recipe with you all! We chose the brisket, since you can already find the Matzo Ball Soup recipe here. (Find the recipe below!)
Our photo isn’t nearly as pretty as the books – but oh boy, was it delicious!
Wednesday: Crispy Chicken Thighs with Pomegranate Sauce and Field Greens with Pomegranate Seeds and Maple Vinaigrette
Pomegranate seeds and chickens are meant to be together! We normally bake our chicken, so it was fun to try a new method. This chicken from The Organic Butcher of McLean was everything: crispy, salty, sweet, and satisfying. We paired the dish with a salad so flavorful there weren’t ANY leftovers. The boys had 2nd on salads – if that’s not a win I don’t know what is!
Thursday: Lemon Coriander Grilled Lamb Chops with Honey Dijon Asparagus
We love anything with honey mustard, and asparagus is no exception. Such a great pair! The boys loved how the grass-fed pastured lamb chops from The Organic Butcher of McLean looked like mini T-bone steaks, and the lemon coriander seasoning was a new (and totally delicious!) flavor combination for us.
Friday: Bagel Dogs and Dill Pickle Deviled Eggs
The boys were looking forward to this meal ALL WEEK LONG. They were even fist bumping when they saw these bagel dogs going into the oven! All of the bagel recipes in this book are beyond words. And the Dill Pickle Deviled Eggs were a great side dish! We served these over family game night and they were perfect finger foods that everyone loved.
Saturday: Chocolate Chip Bagels
We made extra dough the day before, then added chocolate chips, and stashed it in the fridge so it was ready to bake in the morning for breakfast. Best idea ever! Real, chewy bagels are a food we’ve missed since adopting a Paleo diet… but not anymore!
These chocolate chip bagels were a great treat over the weekend!
Recipes Flagged to Make Later:
There were so many great recipes we wanted to try, and couldn’t fit them all into our week-long meal plan! We have these ones set aside to make soon!
Honey Cake
Jelly Chocolate Donuts & Rugelach too!
Thanks to Simone and Jennifer for letting us use all their gorgeous photos (much better than our dimly-lit iPhone ones!) and for sharing this incredible Brisket recipe with everyone!
Ingredients
- 2 ounces (55 g) dried porcini mushrooms (about 1 heaping cup)
- 2 cups (475 ml) boiling water
- 4–5 pounds (1.81–2.3 kg) brisket
- 1 tablespoon (15 g) salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 2 tablespoons (30 ml) tallow, coconut oil, duck fat or preferred fat
- 2 tablespoons (30 g) tomato paste
- 3 large onions, sliced thin
- 3–4 large carrots, whole or sliced lengthwise
- 6 garlic cloves, peeled but left whole
- 12–15 fresh crimini mushrooms, whole, stemmed
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325°F (163°C).
- Place the dried porcini mushrooms in a bowl and pour the boiling water over them. Let them sit for at least 15 minutes, or until you’re ready to add them to the brisket.
- Pat the brisket dry and season with salt and pepper.
- Place a large heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat and melt the fat. Add the brisket and sear for 3 minutes on each side. Remove it to a plate and brush with tomato paste on both sides.
- Add the onions to the pot and turn the heat to medium-low. Sauté them for 15 to 20 minutes, or until they’re golden brown and soft.
- Strain the porcini mushrooms, reserving the liquid they were in.
- Once the onions are golden brown, add the carrots, then the brisket, followed by the garlic, mushrooms and the liquid from the porcini mushrooms.
- Cover tightly and cook for 90 minutes. Remove the brisket to a cutting board and slice at an angle against the grain, in 1/4-inch (6-mm) slices. Return back to the braising liquid, keeping them as close to the original shape of the brisket as possible. Cover and cook for an additional 90 minutes, or more if necessary, until it’s tender.
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If you love this recipe, you’ll love all of The New Yiddish Kitchen as much as we did!
Find it in stores or online —> HERE!
Note: please use discretion in determining which recipes work for you. Yes, some (a very small percent) of the recipes in this book contain some ingredients that may not agree with everyone’s own paleo template (such as psyllium husk or potato starch); however, the book does do a fantastic job of offering allergen-free alternatives for most of the recipes and we recommend you simply use discretion in skipping the recipes that don’t work for you.
