Terumah

Fundraising 101

“כָּל אִישׁ אֲשֶׁר יִדְּבֶנּוּ לִבּוֹ”

Perhaps my degree in Non-Profit Management has made this week’s parsha more appealing to me than others. In the opening of the parsha, God tells Moshe to request donations from the entire People for the building of the Mishkan (Tabernacle). He lists 15 specific resources that are needed for the building of the Mishkan, and spends the rest of the parsha outlining very detailed and specific instructions for its construction. Low and behold, they met their fundraising goal and were able to complete their building project. I have learned several things from this biblical fundraising campaign, but the main lesson for me has been that having God endorse your building campaign is probably the best fundraising  strategy around. Why didn’t they teach us that at University?

Chapter 25 (1-8)

1. ”The Lord spoke to Moses saying:		א. וַיְדַבֵּר יְ־הֹוָ־ה אֶל מֹשֶׁה לֵּאמֹר:
2. ”Speak to the children of Israel, and have them take for Me an offering; from every person whose heart inspires him to generosity, you shall take My offering.		ב. דַּבֵּר אֶל בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וְיִקְחוּ לִי תְּרוּמָה מֵאֵת כָּל אִישׁ אֲשֶׁר יִדְּבֶנּוּ לִבּוֹ תִּקְחוּ אֶת תְּרוּמָתִי:
3. And this is the offering that you shall take from them: gold, silver, and copper;		ג. וְזֹאת הַתְּרוּמָה אֲשֶׁר תִּקְחוּ מֵאִתָּם זָהָב וָכֶסֶף וּנְחֹשֶׁת:
4. blue, purple, and crimson wool; linen (flax) and goat hair;		ד. וּתְכֵלֶת וְאַרְגָּמָן וְתוֹלַעַת שָׁנִי וְשֵׁשׁ וְעִזִּים:
5. ram skins dyed red, tachash skins, and acacia wood;		ה. וְעֹרֹת אֵילִם מְאָדָּמִים וְעֹרֹת תְּחָשִׁים וַעֲצֵי שִׁטִּים:
6. oil for lighting, spices for the anointing oil and for the incense;		ו. שֶׁמֶן לַמָּאֹר בְּשָׂמִים לְשֶׁמֶן הַמִּשְׁחָה וְלִקְטֹרֶת הַסַּמִּים:
7. shoham stones and filling stones for the ephod and for the choshen.		ז. אַבְנֵי שֹׁהַם וְאַבְנֵי מִלֻּאִים לָאֵפֹד וְלַחֹשֶׁן:
8. And they shall make Me a sanctuary and I will dwell in their midst		ח. וְעָשׂוּ לִי מִקְדָּשׁ וְשָׁכַנְתִּי בְּתוֹכָם:

Recipe: Quiche of Donations

This quiche recipe incorporates many [interpretations of] of the 15 requested items for donation to the Mishkan.                 *Note: this recipe is DAIRY

Ingredients:

• Olive oil
• Flax seeds, 2 tbs
• goat cheese
• spices:
• flour, 1 cup
• butter, 1/4 cup
• shredded cheese
• eggs (about 5)
• spinach
• red pepper
• mushrooms
• onion
• bread crumbs

Crust:

In a mixing bowl, combine flour, softened butter, and flax seeds. Add some water if you need to soften the dough. Add a pinch of salt.  Once the dough is evenly mixed, spread it on the bottom of a round quiche pan/dish, pinching it over the edges, so it continues along the rim. Bake the crust for about 10-15 minutes, so that it is partly baked. Remove the dish and wait to fill it with the quiche mixture.

Quiche Mixture:

In a frying pan, saute in olive oil: onions, mushrooms, and red peppers.

Transfer these vegetables to a bowl, and to them mix in about a cup of spinach.

Add the goat cheese, shredded cheese, eggs, and spices. add about 1/2 cup breadcrumbs.

Mix well. Pour this mixture into the crust, sprinkle some bread crumbs on the top, and bake for about 1 hour, or until the top is browned.

********************************************************************

Add an extra parsha touch:

Lechem HaPanim: Instead of the usual 2 challot at your shabbat meal, get 12 challah rolls, arrange them in 2 piles to resemble the Lechem Hapanim/showbread that was present in the Mishkan (assumed to look something like the image to the right) (25:30)

Beshalach

In this week’s parsha, we have one of the most epic moments from Jewish history and Jewish tradition: the Splitting of the Sea.

In honor of this significant story, this week’s themed shabbat food is:

“Split Sea” Soup  

This split-pea soup recipe is best prepared in a crockpot, and is a hearty treat for these cold winter shabbatot!

 

Ingredients:

• 1 (16 oz.) package of dried green split peas, rinsed
• 2 cups diced meat
• 3 carrots, peeled and sliced
• 1 onion, diced
• 2 ribs of celery plus leaves, chopped
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
• 1 tbsp. seasoned salt (or to taste)
• 1/2 tsp. fresh pepper
• 5 1/2 cups hot water

1. Layer ingredients in the crock pot in the order that they’re listed and pour in water. Do not stir ingredients.
2. Cover and cook on high 4 to 5 hours or on low 8 to 10 hours until peas are very soft. Remove bay leaf. Mash peas to thicken more.

Optional: Serve garnished with croutons.

Additional Shabbat Table points:

• This week’s parsha includes a description of the Mann falling, and how a double portion of Mann would fall for Shabbat. The connection to the 2 Challot on the shabbat table is a great opportunity to talk about the Mann from the Parshah.
• ♫ Shirat Hayam: after the Israelites successfully cross the sea, they broke out into song (Az Yashir), which was followed by further singing led by Miriam with the Jewish women. ♫ Sing Az Yashir at your shabbat table!

Noach 2

In this week’s Parsha, after the ordeal of the flood, God paints a rainbow in the clouds and declares it the sign of an everlasting covenant between Himself and humankind, swearing that He will never again wipe out a species by flood. (Bereshit 9:8-17)

14. And it shall come to pass, when I cause clouds to come upon the earth, that the rainbow will appear in the cloud.		יד. וְהָיָה בְּעַנְנִי עָנָן עַל הָאָרֶץ וְנִרְאֲתָה הַקֶּשֶׁת בֶּעָנָן:
15. And I will remember My covenant, which is between Me and between you and between every living creature among all flesh, and the water will no longer become a flood to destroy all flesh.		טו. וְזָכַרְתִּי אֶת בְּרִיתִי אֲשֶׁר בֵּינִי וּבֵינֵיכֶם וּבֵין כָּל נֶפֶשׁ חַיָּה בְּכָל בָּשָׂר וְלֹא יִהְיֶה עוֹד הַמַּיִם לְמַבּוּל לְשַׁחֵת כָּל בָּשָׂר:
16. And the rainbow shall be in the cloud, and I will see it, to remember the everlasting covenant between God and between every living creature among all flesh, which is on the earth.”		טז. וְהָיְתָה הַקֶּשֶׁת בֶּעָנָן וּרְאִיתִיהָ לִזְכֹּר בְּרִית עוֹלָם בֵּין אֱ־לֹהִים וּבֵין כָּל נֶפֶשׁ חַיָּה בְּכָל בָּשָׂר אֲשֶׁר עַל הָאָרֶץ:

This week, let’s celebrate this promise with: The Rainbow Cupcake

http://www.thecupcakeblog.com/somewhere-over-the-rainbow-cupcakes/

Try any cake or cupcake recipe for the cake base:

For vanilla, I’ve used this recipe and liked it: FOUR EGG YELLOW CAKE recipe.

For a great chocolate cake, I like to use this recipe:

“An AMAZING CHOCLATE CAKE”:

• 2 cups of sugar
• 1 3/4 cups of flour
• 3/4 cups of cocoa
• 1 1/2 tsp baking soda 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup of veg oil
• 1 cup of water ( or soy milk)
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup boiling water

 Mix dry ingredients together.

Add eggs, water/soy, oil, vanilla and eggs-Mix until well blended, scrape down sides bowl.  Fold Boiling water, place in greased pan.

Bake 180-Celsius for 20-50 minutes, depending when toothpick comes out clean.

To decorate the tops:

• White cake frosting (either store bought or home-made)
• blue food coloring
• Rainbow sour belts, sold in most candy stores (in Israel at least…)

Also: See this post for last year’s Parshat Noach ideas

Thanks to Debbie for the tip!

Parshat Eikev

Two cute and easy recipes can spice up your Shabbat Parshat Eikev meal!

1. Shivat Haminim Salad (the 7 species) – This salad incorporates 4 of the yummiest 7 species.

text (Devarim, 7:8):

אֶרֶץ חִטָּה וּשְׂעֹרָה וְגֶפֶן וּתְאֵנָה וְרִמּוֹן אֶרֶץ זֵית שֶׁמֶן וּדְבָשׁ:

a land of wheat and barley, vines and figs and pomegranates, a land of oil producing olives and honey

Ingredients:

• 1 head lettuce
• 1 small red onion
• 1 red pepper
• 1 cucumber
• 1 ripe pomegranate (seeds only)
• fresh figs
• dried dates
• yellow raisins

Combine ingredients in large salad bowl and serve!

Dressing: honey vinegrette: olive oil, light vinegar (wine, cider, or salad), 2 tsp honey, salt, pepper, garlic powder, to taste.

♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦

2. Fruit Crumble with white and honey drizzle. This yummy dessert can be made with your favorite fruits. The drizzle on top is a subtle but lovely way to incorporate the parsha.

text (Devraim 10:9):

עַל הָאֲדָמָה אֲשֶׁר נִשְׁבַּע יְ־הֹוָ־ה לַאֲבֹתֵיכֶם לָתֵת לָהֶם וּלְזַרְעָם אֶרֶץ זָבַת חָלָב וּדְבָשׁ:

…on the land that the Lord swore to your forefathers to give to them and to their seed a land flowing with milk and honey.

Land Flowing with Milk and Honey

Fruit:

• 4 apples
• 3 peaches

Peel and thinly slice the fruit and mix together (you may use other fruits as well). Lay it in a pan or dish.

Crumble:

• 1 cup white sugar
• 3/4 cup flour
• 1/4 cup oats
• 1 cup margarine
• cinnamon to taste

Combine all ingredients and mix well. Mixture should form a crumble. Sprinkle this generously on top of the fruit.

Bake at 350 for about 45 minutes.

Let the fruit cool.

Drizzle:

• honey
• 200 grams confectioner’s sugar
• 1 stick margarine
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Combine sugar, margarine and vanilla to form white icing. Place in a ziplock bag, snip the corner, and drizzle on top of the crumble (I did a thick line, squiggled across the top). Before serving, drizzle honey on top of the white line of icing.

Matot

Going over this week’s parsha, I drew a blank. Vows, Midian, and Reuven+Gad(+ 1/2 Menashe) are the central themes of Matot, and none of them were striking my creative chords. Then I looked at the haftorah, and the famous visions of Yirmiyahu with their vivid poetic descriptions jumped out at me.

Namely, Yirmiahu’s vision of almond branch:

1:11. And the word of the Lord came to me, saying: What do you see, Jeremiah? And I said, “I see a rod of an almond tree.”

1:12. And the Lord said to me; You have seen well, for I hasten My word to accomplish it. Granted, a lot here is lost in the translation…

The play on words here is that the word for almond, שקד (Shakedd), is the same root as the word for “hasten”.

It became clear to me that this week’s parsha food should be a) almond flavored and b) quick and easy to make –> fulfilling both the literal and interpretive meanings of the vision.

Personally, I’ll be making this Almond Crusted Chicken:

(which have the added aesthetic bonus of looking like almond rods!)

 

Ingredients

• 3 boned, skinned chicken breast halves
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons soy sauce
• 5 tablespoons cornstarch, divided
• 1 teaspoon brandy or water
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 large eggs
• Canola oil for frying
• 2 1/2 cups sliced almonds

In a bowl, combine salt, soy sauce, 2 tbsp. cornstarch, the brandy/water, baking soda, and 2 tbsp. water. Add chicken and stir to coat. Let sit 5 minutes. Transfer chicken to a plate. In the same bowl, stir in remaining 3 tbsp. cornstarch and the eggs until well blended. Mix in chicken to coat.

In a 12-in. frying pan, heat 1/2 in. oil over medium-high heat. Spread almonds on a cutting board. Press chicken into nuts, coating both sides evenly, then lay chicken in oil. Cook until browned, turning once, 4 to 8 minutes total. Drain on paper towels

• (Recipe courtesy of: http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/almond-crusted-chicken-10000001842391/)
• Thanks again to my friend Debbie!

As a theme cop-out (but I’m not judging…), you can simply throw almond slivers into your salad to add some crunch, make rice with almonds, try some of these other ideas:

• To candy almonds, this is easy:  http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/cinnamon-roasted-almonds/detail.aspx
• Rolo-Pretzel Turtles: this recipe looks soooo easy and delicious (but alas, no Rolos in Israel, and they’re dairy anyway):  http://whatsfordinner2.blogspot.com/2010/12/rolo-pretzel-turtles.html
• Chocolate-Almond Meringues:  http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ellie-krieger/chocolate-almond-meringues-recipe/index.html

Alternatively, serve anything boiled in a pot to fulfill Yirmiyahu’s 2nd vision: 

1:13. And the word of the Lord came to me a second time, saying: What do you see? And I said, “I see a bubbling pot, whose foam is toward the north.”

Chukat

In this week’s parsha,  having traveled through the desert for 40 years, Miriam dies and the people ask for water. Hashem tells Moshe to speak to the rock and command it to produce water. Instead, Moshe hits the rock and water comes flowing out.

For this week’s parsha integration to your shabbat table, I suggest serving a delicious dessert of HOT CHOCOLATE CAKES.

Hit these bad boys with your fork and delicious liquid chocolate will pour out!

There are lots of hot chocolate cake recipes out there but my favorite by far is my friend Debbie’s (thanks Debso!)

Ingredients: (yields 8 hot chocolate cakes) 

• 200 grams bittersweet chocolate 
• 200 grams butter or margarine
• 2 cups powdered sugar 
• 4 eggs
• 4 egg yolks 
• 2/3 cup flour 

Preheat the oven to 190 (C). Melt the chocolate together with the butter. Add powdered sugar and mix.

Add the eggs one by one, then add the yolks and mix, until its all mixed together and smooth.

Sift the flour on top of the mixture and mix only until it’s all incorporated.

(Up to this point you can make in advance and save it in the fridge or freezer, though baking time will be a couple of minutes longer)

Before serving, make sure to butter/pam the little cups, and pour the mixture into them. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until the edges are set and the middle is still soft when you touch it. Take it out of the oven and let cool for 2 minutes. Serve in cup- or flip it over on a plate.

The “secret” is in the baking- if it bakes for more time than it needs to, they won’t be liquidy in the middle. If you want to know exactly how much time you need in your oven, try baking only one for 12 minutes, then take it out and cut it. see if it needs less time or more.

Ki Tisa

This week is the Egel HaZahav, the Golden Calf!

This is great:

Not the proudest moment for the Jewish people, but a great chance to make some EGEL. For the sake of translation, it should really be VEAL, but any type of beef will do.

Try this marinade recipe my DAD taught me:

Ingredients:

1 can saurkraut

1 can cranberry sauce

1 can tomato sauce

spices

2 tbs olive oil

Mix the ingredients together and cover the meat with it. seal the pan tightly and bake for around 2.5 hours covered, uncovering it for an addition 1/2 hour at the end.

Enjoy!

Va’era 2

Here’s another cute theme idea from this week’s parsha!

It’s metaphorical and could lead into an interesting conversation about free will vs. divine intervention.

In parshat Va’era we read about seven of the Ten plagues and Paraoh’s back-and-forth between promising the Jews permission to leave Egypt, and his subsequent “change of heart”, forbidding them from leaving.  God promises Moshe that He will “harden Pharaoh’s heart”, but eventually free the Jewish People from his rule.

Over and over again we see the phrase “וַיֶּחֱזַק לֵב פַּרְעֹה“, Paroah’s heart was hardened to the plight of the Jews. The implications of this part of the exodus story are important.  Can Paraoh be considered a villain if God was controlling his will? Is it important that he be a villain?

In light of this theme, I propose baking heart-shaped sugar cookies and bringing the issue to your shabbat table!

Paroah’s Hardened-Heart Cookies

Makes about fifteen 5-inch cookies

• 4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for work surface
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter
• 2 cups sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, salt, and baking powder; set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (if you have one), cream together butter and sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add vanilla and lemon juice and beat until well combined.
3. With the mixer on low, add the flour mixture in two batches, mixing until just incorporated. Turn dough out onto a clean work surface. Divide in half, and pat into flattened rectangles; wrap each in plastic wrap. Refrigerate at least 2 hours.
4. Working with one piece at a time, on a lightly floured work surface, roll out dough to a 1/8-inch thickness. Using a 5-inch heart-shaped cookie cutter, cut out hearts. (if you don’t have a cookie cutter, you can DIY like me by following this online tutorial! or just watch it in the video below)
5. Transfer to prepared baking sheets, about 2 inches apart. Refrigerate until firm, about 15 minutes. Repeat process with remaining rectangle of dough. Gather all the scraps, and roll out again. Chill 15 minutes; cut out more heart shapes, and place on baking sheets.
6. Bake, rotating baking sheets halfway through cooking, until cookies are golden around the edges and slightly firm to the touch, about 15 minutes.
7. Decorate however you’d like!

Recipe courtesy of Martha Stewart recipes

Va’era

In honor of the first 7 plagues found in this week’s parsha (the remaining 3 appear in next week’s parsha), I’d like to take a shortcut and reference a recipe I used for Parshat Re’eh. I’ve done this one before so I can attest that it gets rave reviews!

The 10 Plagues: “Hail” Chicken Rolls

This recipe is a fun interpretation of the 7th plague: hail (which was miraculous in that it was icy hail on the outside, with hot red fire on the inside. This chicken recipe resembles this hail: white breaded chicken breast, stuffed with fiery-red stuffing.

• boneless chicken breast
• mushrooms
• onions
• garlic cloves
• sun-dried tomatoes
• basil leaves
• pine nuts
• breadcrumbs (white)
• olive oil
• salt, pepper, paprika, to taste

In a frying pan, sauté onions, add garlic cloves (chopped/pressed finely). Add mushrooms. (You may need to have 2 frying pans and do them separately. That is fine). Towards the end, add pine nuts and sun dried tomatoes (sliced/cubed).

In a mixing bowl, combine: onions, garlic, mushrooms, sun dried tomatoes, pine nuts. Chop the basil leaves and add them. This constitutes a “pesto-like” stuffing. Add bread crumbs to hold it together. (I don’t find that an egg is necessary, but you can add one if you see fit). Add salt, pepper, and paprika. The mixture should have a red-ish hue.

Lay out chicken breasts, on one side of the chicken, spoon a dollop of stuffing and roll the chicken. Place the rolls in a pan or baking dish, roll side faced down. You may need to add toothpicks to hold some of them together.

Brush the top of the chicken rolls with olive oil, and sprinkle breadcrumbs on top.

Bake in over on 350 for about 45 minutes, covered. Uncover for the last 10 minutes.

Parshat Shemot

A new week, a new BOOK, and 2 new recipes to add something special to your meal.

1. “Baby Moshe in a Basket”- Meat Puff

In Parshat Shmot, Yocheved, Moshe’s mother, fearing the Egyptian decree which seized and killed Jewish male babies, hides Moshe in a basket and sends the basket down the Nile in the hopes that he might survive.

text (Shmot 2:3):

וַתִּקַּח לוֹ תֵּבַת גֹּמֶא וַתַּחְמְרָה

בַחֵמָר וּבַזָּפֶת וַתָּשֶׂם בָּהּ אֶת הַיֶּלֶד וַתָּשֶׂם בַּסּוּף עַל שְׂפַת הַיְאֹר:

she took [for] him a reed basket, smeared it with clay and pitch, placed the child into it, and put [it] into the marsh at the Nile’s edge.

In Israel, “Moshe in a Basket” or “Moshe Ba’Teivah” refers to what we Americans call “Franks in Blanks” (hot dogs surrounded by puff pastry). This may be a preferred option for you, especially for those concerned with kid-friendly foods. I, on the other hand, prefer this twist on the idea: Meat Puff.

“Baby Moshe in a Basket”- Meat Puff

Ingredients:

• chopped meat
• Onion
• Garlic
• Seasoning: garlic, salt, pepper, parsley
• 1 egg
• Pastry dough

Sautee onion, and garlic. In a separate pan, brown the chop meat, seasoning lightly. Keep the meat loose and separate. In a bowl, combine onion mixture with the meat. Add the seasoning and an egg.

(Sometimes I like to add some breadcrumbs as well to hold the meat together more)

For a roll: spread the pastry dough and spoon the meat mixture into one mound lengthwise (a log), about 1 inch thick (high) and 4 inches wide. Roll the dough. If you are new to pastry dough, or are simply lazy, you can opt instead to fold the dough on the sides over the meat section. Seal the open ends of dough together.

You will be left with a log. Make several slits (widthwise) to the dough, and brush with egg (or a light layer of mayonnaise).

Cook for 1/2 and hour at high temperature (350-400)

*Alternative, you can make indivudal meat puffs (similar to a meat k’nish) or any other desired shape that preserved the general theme idea

♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦

2. “Burning Bushes”- Grilled Broccoli and Cauliflower

This week’s parsha is chock full of great stories. Among them is the story of Moshe encountering the revelation from God in the form of a burningbush.  Our recipe will help us bring our own, bite-sized “burned bushes” right to the Shabbat table!

Text (Shmot 3:2):

וַיֵּרָא מַלְאַךְ יְ־הֹוָ־ה אֵלָיו בְּלַבַּת אֵשׁ מִתּוֹךְ הַסְּנֶה וַיַּרְא וְהִנֵּה הַסְּנֶה בֹּעֵר בָּאֵשׁ וְהַסְּנֶה אֵינֶנּוּ אֻכָּל:

An angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire from within the thorn bush, and behold, the thorn bush was burning with fire, but the thorn bush was not being consumed.

Ingredients:

• 1 head broccoli
• 1 head cauliflower
• 2 tbs olive oil
• Salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder
• Paprika
• Turmeric

Preheat oven to 400.

Wash and cut the vegetables into individual florettes. In a mixing bowl, add to the florettes the olive oil and spices. Feel free to play with spice ratios to your liking.

Spread vegis on a baking sheet. Avoid layering them (even if it means baking them in 2 shifts). Bake them until vegis have softened and the tops are slightly charred. You may prefer to bake them on “broil”.

SHABBAT SHALOM!