Growing up in Minnesota, I always heard about this amazing barfood called the Jucy Lucy. I was curious about this delicacy. During my treife (non-kosher) days, I was a vegetarian, so I didn’t have so much interest. Now that I keep kosher, the Jucy Lucy’s at Matt’s Bar in Minneapolis are off limits. They still look tempting. Click here for the wikipedia on the infamous Jucy Lucy.
I decided to try to kosherize it. I knew I didn’t want to use soy cheese, since that stuff is pretty crappy. I decided to replace the meat. I was a bit concerned, as soy meat is a completely different consistence than real meat, and it comes very differently. It came out pretty good, I will make some fixes next time. I need to make the patties a bit thinner, and I need to slice the cheese thinner. Otherwise, it was pretty tasty.
Below is my recipe for these tasty treats.
Jucy Lucy – Vegetarian and KosherRecipe made 5 patties
1 package of “ground” veggie meat (I use the Lightlife)
1/2 package of veggie ground sausage (Also used Lightlife)
1 onion, chopped fine
salt and pepper
2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 tablespoons bread crumbs
2 eggs
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 slice of cheese for each patty – American Cheese is the most authentic
Have some toothpicks handy.
In a medium bowl, mix all ingredients except for the cheese.
Form into 10 thin patties.
Place the cheese on top of the patties, fold up the cheese so that there is “meat” space around the cheese. Place another patty on top of the cheese up patty. Crimp the edges.
In a cast iron skillet, on medium heat, put your patties in. Cook for 5-6 minutes. Flip the burgers over, poke a toothpick through to allow for steam to escape, and ensure that the cheese doesn’t make the burger explode before eating. Cook another 6-7 minutes.
Serve on a bun, dress the burger as you like it. Enjoy!
Back in my college days, I remember some Jucy Lucy eating contests. I remember people boasting about how many they could eat. So…how many did you eat? Hope you enjoyed!
Archives for January 2009
Vegetarian Jucy Lucy Hamburger
Homemade Macaroni and Cheese
I finally figured out a “recipe” that is a more than adequate stand-in for a boxed macaroni and cheese.
My dear elder daughter, who I love so much, is not my biggest fan. She likes foods that are not so “oomphed” up. She would be more than happy with a simple pasta with butter and “sprinkle” cheese. My mom tells me that I was just as picky at her age. We did love some Kraft Dinner back in those days. I do wish she would start liking sushi and Vietnamese food though. Soon, please. I want to be able to take her to a restaurant that doesn’t offer a kids’ menu.
Anyhow, yesterday we had a special day together. I had off from work and she had off from school in honor of MLK day. I promised her a day that went her way. We went to a movie. “Hotel for Dogs” is perfect for the age 5-8 set. After the movie, it was time for lunch. We don’t have any kosher mac and cheese options in my neighborhood. We had eaten pizza the night before. So we decided to pick up some Carvel Sundaes to take home for dessert and make Mac and Cheese at home.
Much to our horror, especially hers, we found that there were no boxes of Wacky Mac around. So I improvised. I am proud to say that she loved it. She said that the homemade mac and cheese was much better than the boxed kind. She was a bit disturbed that her new macaroni was not that scary neon orange color. So we had a bit of a chat and she came around.
Macaroni and Cheese
1 Box of Macaroni Pasta
3/4 cup of milk (I used whole)
2 tablespoons of flour
1/2 stick of butter
salt and pepper to taste
2 tsp. paprika
3/4 cup parmesean – plus more for dusting
3/4 cup of cheddar – try the orange kind.
Cook your macaroni in a pot of salted water. Cook it to al dente. You do not want it completely cooked or overcooked because it will cook in the cheese sauce. Drain your pasta and rinse with cold water.
Melt the butter in a saucepan.
Add in the milk. Stir. Do not let the milk boil.
Slowly stir in the flour. This is the beginning of a yummy white sauce. Keep stirring.
Slowly pour in the parmesean, while still stirring. Add in your seasonings.
Add the cheddar. Keep stirring.
Slowly incorporate the pasta.
Serve onto a plate. Lunch was served with some steamed broccoli, which she approved of.
Next time I make this, I will try adding some toasted bread crumbs and bake a bit…maybe even add some spice to it, like jalapenos. I can play with this.
Enjoy!
Homemade Pizza
There once was a man named Joe. Trader Joe.
Have I ever shared with you my love for Trader Joe’s? I probably have…
The jar of sauce, only needs to be spiced up a bit, and is under $2.
1 ladle or so of tomato sauce – use your favorite kind
8 oz. shredded mozarella cheese
2 shallots, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1/2 package of Lightlife or other soy “pepperoni”
1/2 cup parmesean, shredded
red pepper flakes, optional or to taste
a sprinkle of olive oil
Remove from oven.
Soy Ginger Salmon
Wednesday evenings are one of the nuttiest in our house. Both kids have assorted activities. We do not get home until 7:30, making the whole dinner routine a bit tough. I don’t like to do fast food, nor do we have any decent kosher fast food nearby. I do admit, I often turn to the more processed/frozen varieties of nutrition too often on those nights. I prefer to give my family a more balanced home cooked meal. This past Wednesday, we had the perfect dinner. We had a soy ginger salmon over whole wheat couscous with mushrooms and herbs. Yum!
Soy Ginger Salmon
Marinade Ingredients
1 pound of salmon
1/3 cup brown sugar
juice of half a lemon
1/3 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons ginger paste
1 tablespoon olive oil
Marinate your salmon for at least 30 minutes.
You have two options for cooking this up. You can sear it and finish in the oven, or you can broil for 15 minutes or so on high.
I chose to sear for 10 minutes and then finish in the oven.
Heat up the marinade ingredients in a sauce pan. Heat to boiling. Pour some of this sauce over the salmon and couscous.
I would show you a picture, but the camera didn’t cooperate. I will make this again though. So good!
Kosher Carbonara – Yes it’s possible…
Pasta Carbonara is said to be pure Italian comfort food. The basics of the classic dish are bacon, eggs, pasta, and parmesean. The bacon is obviously problematic in my world as far as kashrut goes. The raw eggs, which are cooked in the pasta, while not a problem, it still made me nervous.
Ingredients:
salt
1/2 cup of starchy pasta water
olive oil
Vegetarian Spring Rolls
I have never made spring rolls before. I made egg rolls once a few years ago, but egg roll wrappers are easier to work with. I have had the spring roll wrappers sitting in my house for a while, just waited to be played with. I don’t like frying things and I was a bit fearful. I charged ahead.
1/2 cup of shredded carrots
2 tablespoons chopped ginger
2 tablespoons of bamboo shoots, chopped
2 tablespoons soy sauce
Vegetable Oil
Just a reminder that my spring rolls didn’t look so perfect this time. They were damn good though.
Easy Rib Steak
C is for Cow.
2 tablespoons of dijon mustard
5 cloves of garlic, crushed
Veggie Enchiladas
A couple of years ago a colleague had some yummy smelling lunch that I just had to inquire about. It turned out to be vegetarian enchiladas. She passed on the recipe to me and I subsequently buried it in my email box and let it sit. From time to time I would eyeball the recipe and think about the idea of making it. After all, it did smell good. I thought it might be too time consuming to make though. I have toughened up since then. I am brave enough to take on more “complicated” dishes now. Last night I prepared my own adaptation of the veggie enchiladas. It was easy and amazing. It also made for wonderful leftovers the next day at lunch. The only shortcut I did was use a bottle of Trader Joe’s Enchilada Sauce, which just happens to be cheap and kosher.
Vegetarian Enchiladas
1 onions, chopped
5 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 green squash, diced
1 yellow squash, diced
1 can of pinto beans, rinsed
1 chile, seeds removed and chopped
2 scallions
8 baby bella mushrooms, chopped
salt and pepper
1 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. cumin
1-2 cups of cheddar/monterey jack mix, shredded
olive oil
8 Tortillas
1 bottle of Trader Joes Enchilada Sauce
Sour Cream
Cilantro, olives, chives – optional
Preheat your oven to 350.
Begin by preparing your filling ingredients. Chop up all the veggies.
In a bit of olive oil, saute the onions and the garlic. After a few minutes, add in the chili powder, salt, pepper, and cumin. Next, add in the squash. Saute for 5 minutes. Add in the canned pinto beans. Let that cook a bit. Mash up the beans a bit. Add in the mushrooms, scallion, and the chile. Make sure you have removed the seeds from the chile. Let it cook some more until the liquid evaporates.
In a 9×13 pan, pour some of the enchilada sauce to cover the bottom of the pan.
In each tortilla, place around two tablespoons of the vegetable mixture along with a sprinkle of cheese.
Roll up the tortilla and place seam side down in the pan. Do this 8 times.
When all the tortillas are in, pour the rest of the sauce over the tortillas. Make sure the enchiladas are well covered by the sauce. Throw on the rest of the cheese. Place in oven.
Remove after 25-30 minutes. Garnish with sour cream, cilantro, chives, and olives.
Enjoy! This dish is great the next day. It might also work well frozen.
Yummy Soy Sausage
A staple in our house is fake meat…soy and otherwise. I like the versatility of the fake meat products…and in the words of my 7-year-old, “I don’t want to be fleishig.”
On any given Monday night, dinner can be a rush. The buzz of the beginning of the week and crazy schedules make meal planning tough. The presence of the soy meat options are very helpful. Making dinner can be easy.
Dinner was Veggie Italian Sausage with a Mushroom and Tomato Saute over Pasta. I used gemelli, but any pasta can be used. I just like to use fun shapes. I used Trader Joes brand veggie sausage. I have seen other brand out there. Lightlife and Field Roast brands both offer similar tasty treats.
Italian Sausage, Mushrooms, and Tomato over PastaIngredients
1 box of pasta – any shape will do
1 onion
5 cloves of garlic, chopped
2 Italian Soy Sausages, more if feeding a larger crowd
1 can of diced flavored tomatoes
salt and pepper
Basil – fresh if you have it
Parmesean Cheese
Start by sauteing one chopped onion with 5 chopped cloves of garlic in some olive oil. Slice up two sausages thinly. Add it to the pan. Add in some sliced baby bella mushrooms, salt, pepper, and some basil. Use fresh basil if you have it. Next, add in a can of crushed tomatoes. I like the italian balsamic tomato flavor.
Spoon the mixture over some cooked pasta. Grate some parmesean cheese over it. This dish was wonderful and filling. Goes great with some steamed veggies or a green salad.
Cooking with my Dad: Vegetable Samosas
2 potatoes, diced
1 onion, diced
2 carrots or 8 baby carrots, diced
2 tbsp. chopped ginger
1 red pepper flakes
salt and pepper to taste
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 cup of peas
1 scallion, chopped
1/4 cup water
1 tsp. of garam masala
2 tsp. curry
1 tsp. fenugreek
Egg Roll or Wonton Skins
2 tbsp. oil for brushing
Add in the peas and the hummus, stir a bit. Add in the chopped scallions. Add in the water. Let everything cook until most of the liquid evaporates.
Brush the triangles with olive oil.
