The Jewish holiday of Passover begins tonight at sundown. It is traditional on the first night (and the second, if you're really observant) to have a meal and service called a Seder. I'm not Jewish but D is, so for the last few years we have had what we call a "sorta-Seder".
Our sorta-Seder is part traditional, part borrowed, and part our own. We don't read through the entire service, just the parts we like and the parts that involve wine! We are having guests this year for the first time and I've just about finished the preparation, but I wanted to share the menu - hopefully it will keep me a little more on track with posting recipes/pictures than last year.
Sorta-Seder 2010
Matzoh Ball Soup
Roast Chicken with Sage and Rosemary
Roast Potatoes
Broccoli and Califlower
Charoset
Cheesecake with Strawberry Sauce
March 29, 2010
March 22, 2010
Ropa Vieja
I like food. Really. I like to buy it, I like to cook it, and I really, really like to eat it. And I don't discriminate. Unless it comes from the sea, I probably like it. But if I had to pick one favorite this would be it. Ropa Vieja.
It means "old clothes" in spanish, and its a traditional Cuban dish. I first discovered it while exploring Cuban cuisine at a place called Havana Cafe in Phoenix, AZ. It was my first time eating there (now I'm a regular customer whenever I'm in town) and I'd never heard of the dish, but it sounded good. Its basically a stew of shredded beef, peppers and onions, seasoned with garlic, cumin, oregano. My dad and I once took my grandmother, who grew up in Cuba, and she said it was the most authentic Cuban dish she's ever eaten in the States.
This recipe is straight from Havana Cafe's website. I tried making it once a few years ago and it couldn't have gone worse. The butcher gave me the wrong - more expensive - cut of meat, which just didn't shred right. I didn't know how to peel tomatoes so I just threw them in chopped (I've since learned) and it was underseasoned. But I couldn't let my favorite dish go without a fight; no, this recipe deserved a second chance! So with a few more years of cooking under my belt I tried again, and I'm sure glad I did.
Ropa Vieja
courtesy of Havana Cafe
2 ½ pounds Flank Steak
4 Bay Leaves
1 Onion, cut into eighths
1 Carrot, sliced
1 Potato, cut into quarters
Salt and Pepper
Water to cover
2 Tbsp Olive Oil
2 Onions, thinly sliced
4 cloves Garlic, minced
2 medium Green Peppers, seeded and thinly sliced
2 Habanero Chiles, seeds and stem removed and chopped
1 can Chopped Tomatoes
1 can Tomato Paste
Oregano
Cumin
2 Bay Leaves
Salt and Pepper
1/3 cup Red Wine
Wash the flank steak and place it in a large heavy pot. Add the bay leaves, onion, carrot, potato, salt and pepper; bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer for 1-2 hours until meat is tender.
Remove steak to a plate and cool, strain liquid into a bowl and set aside. When steak is cool enough to handle, shred it using two forks.
In a large fry pan, add olive oil and sauté the next 5 ingredients until tender. Add the tomatoes, wine, and 1 cup of the reserved liquid. Season to taste and cook for about 20 minutes uncovered to reduce and create a sauce for the shredded meat.
Add the shredded meat and season to taste. Serve with rice and beans or moros.
It means "old clothes" in spanish, and its a traditional Cuban dish. I first discovered it while exploring Cuban cuisine at a place called Havana Cafe in Phoenix, AZ. It was my first time eating there (now I'm a regular customer whenever I'm in town) and I'd never heard of the dish, but it sounded good. Its basically a stew of shredded beef, peppers and onions, seasoned with garlic, cumin, oregano. My dad and I once took my grandmother, who grew up in Cuba, and she said it was the most authentic Cuban dish she's ever eaten in the States.
This recipe is straight from Havana Cafe's website. I tried making it once a few years ago and it couldn't have gone worse. The butcher gave me the wrong - more expensive - cut of meat, which just didn't shred right. I didn't know how to peel tomatoes so I just threw them in chopped (I've since learned) and it was underseasoned. But I couldn't let my favorite dish go without a fight; no, this recipe deserved a second chance! So with a few more years of cooking under my belt I tried again, and I'm sure glad I did.
Ropa Vieja
courtesy of Havana Cafe
2 ½ pounds Flank Steak
4 Bay Leaves
1 Onion, cut into eighths
1 Carrot, sliced
1 Potato, cut into quarters
Salt and Pepper
Water to cover
2 Tbsp Olive Oil
2 Onions, thinly sliced
4 cloves Garlic, minced
2 medium Green Peppers, seeded and thinly sliced
2 Habanero Chiles, seeds and stem removed and chopped
1 can Chopped Tomatoes
1 can Tomato Paste
Oregano
Cumin
2 Bay Leaves
Salt and Pepper
1/3 cup Red Wine
Wash the flank steak and place it in a large heavy pot. Add the bay leaves, onion, carrot, potato, salt and pepper; bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer for 1-2 hours until meat is tender.
Remove steak to a plate and cool, strain liquid into a bowl and set aside. When steak is cool enough to handle, shred it using two forks.
In a large fry pan, add olive oil and sauté the next 5 ingredients until tender. Add the tomatoes, wine, and 1 cup of the reserved liquid. Season to taste and cook for about 20 minutes uncovered to reduce and create a sauce for the shredded meat.
Add the shredded meat and season to taste. Serve with rice and beans or moros.
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