Cauliflower Zucchini Soup

• oil, for sautéing
• 3–5 onions
• salt, to taste
• 8 zucchinis
• 1 head of cauliflower, or 1 frozen bag cauliflower
• water, to cover
• 3 Tbsp dried dill
• 1 Tbsp tamari sauce (optional)
• 1 Tbsp oil

Heat oil in a pot. Add the onions and let them steam until translucent. Add salt. Cube zucchini and cauliflower, add to pot, and add salt again. Cook until the vegetables soften. Slowly add water to cover. Add seasonings, cover, and let simmer for 30–60 minutes. Once softened, blend into a smooth puree.

—Rivki Rabinowitz, copy writer

Couscous with Buttered Peas

To break up the monotony of the standard pasta/pizza lunch and chicken/beef dinner, we’ve been throwing in some non-meat or cheese meals. Our favorite is couscous with buttered peas.

• 1 pkg couscous, prepared according to the directions, but swap the oil for butter (and double the amount of butter)
• 3 Tbsp butter
• 1 yellow onion, diced
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 6 cups frozen peas (I like the tiny ones)
• 8 mint leaves, chopped
• 1 bay leaf
• 1–2 sprigs of thyme
• juice of 1 lemon
• ¹⁄₂ cup dry white wine
• kosher salt and coarse black pepper, to taste

Heat a medium/large pot over medium heat. Add butter and onion. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt and pepper. Stir to combine and cook for about 6 minutes. Add garlic and herbs. Stir for 1 minute. Pour in peas, add another healthy pinch of salt, and mix to combine. Cover pot and cook for 10–12 minutes, stirring every 2 minutes, until peas have softened and defrosted.

Remove lid, raise heat to high and pour in lemon juice and wine. Mix and allow to cook for 3–4 minutes until the alcohol in the wine has cooked out. Taste and adjust seasoning to your liking.

Serve warm over hot, fresh, buttery couscous! For a bonus, you can add a dollop of sumac Greek yogurt.

(To make sumac Greek yogurt, pour the contents of a container of Greek yogurt in a bowl. Add a healthy pinch of sumac, drizzle with a little olive oil, and finish with a sprinkle of Maldon salt. This is also delicious as a dip for cut-up veggies.)

—Danielle Renov, recipe contributor

Arais

We do mac ’n cheese, grilled cheese, etc. But a dinner we all enjoy and is super easy to make is arais — meat-filled pitas.

• 6 pitas, cut in half
• 2 lbs (1 kg) ground beef
• 1 small onion, finely diced
• 1 tomato, finely diced
• 2 cubes frozen garlic
• 1 cube frozen parsley, or 1 Tbsp dried parsley
• salt and pepper, to taste
• oil, for smearing

Combine beef with onion, tomato, and seasonings. Stuff each pita half with the meat mixture. Smear the outside of the pita with oil.

Bake or grill: To grill, wrap each pita in foil and grill for about 5 minutes per side, then unwrap and grill another 5 minutes per side. This way you know the inside is fully cooked before the pita burns. To bake, bake at 400°F (200°C) for 15 minutes, then flip over and bake for another 10 minutes. Serve with techinah.

—Faigy Grossmann, columnist

Roasted Cauliflower

This is a Shabbos treat that we make every single week. It’s so easy, and we double it because some people pick at it on Erev Shabbos…

• 1 large head of cauliflower, checked and cut into chunks
• ¹⁄₃ cup oil
• 2 frozen garlic cubes, defrosted
• 2 frozen parsley cubes, defrosted
• salt, to taste

Toss cauliflower with oil, then toss with defrosted cubes. Spread on a large baking sheet. (It should be spread out a bit.) Bake at 425°F (220°C) for 25 minutes.

—Chaia Frishman, columnist

Spaghetti Bolognese

One of the easiest recipes we throw together is spaghetti Bolognese. We always have the basics in the house — chopped meat in the freezer, tomato sauce and pasta in the pantry, and fresh garlic and onions.

SERVES 4–6

• 2 Tbsp canola oil
• 1 large onion, finely diced
• 3 tsp kosher salt, divided
• 10 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 lbs (1 kg) ground beef
• 2 28-oz (790-g) cans diced tomatoes with their liquid
• 2 Tbsp dried oregano
• 2 Tbsp tomato paste
• 2 tsp kosher salt
• freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 1 cup red wine
• 1 16-oz (450-g) pkg spaghetti, cooked according to pkg instructions

Heat oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add onion and 1 tsp salt; sauté for a few minutes till onions begin to sweat, then add garlic. Add meat, breaking it up with the back of a wooden spoon; mix well with onions and remaining 2 tsp salt. Cook until meat has browned. Add the remaining ingredients. Simmer, uncovered, for 30–45 minutes. Just before serving, toss with cooked spaghetti.

—Naomi Nachman, columnist

Tuna-Noodle Casserole

This is one of my quickest dinner preps ever (especially if you cook the pasta in advance)!

• 11/2 cups raw macaroni, cooked and drained
• 1 can tuna in water
• 1 can cream of mushroom soup (or cream of celery)
• some mixed frozen vegetables (or canned corn), optional
• a splash of milk
• salt, to taste
• flavored bread crumbs (or cornflake crumbs)

Put the cooked macaroni into a greased two-quart casserole or a 9-inch (23- cm) square dish. Add the tuna, cream of mushroom soup, and veggies, if using. Add milk and sprinkle in salt. Mix everything together. Cover the top with bread crumbs and bake uncovered at 350°F (175°C) for 40 minutes.

—Devorah Cohen, graphic artist

Super Salami and Peppers

I try not to use processed meat often, but I’ll serve this flavorful meal for a Rosh Chodesh supper. It’s always a hit.

• 1 whole salami (not slices, the type that comes as a long tube)
• olive oil, for browning
• 1 bottle of beer, divided
• 2–3 onions, cut in thin strips
• 1–2 red peppers, cut in thin strips
• 1–2 yellow peppers, cut in thin strips
• salt, pepper, garlic powder, basil, and oregano, to taste

Cut the salami into smallish cubes. Brown in olive oil. Remove from the pan. Deglaze pan with about ¼ cup of beer. Add onion and sauté over medium-low heat until lightly golden. Add peppers with 1 cup of beer.

Cook for an additional 20 minutes until the vegetables are very soft. Add more beer at any point if the mixture is drying out. Add the salami and spices to the pan, and cook 5 more minutes. Stuff into rolls and enjoy!

—Bassi Gruen, managing editor

French Toast

I’ve made French toast at least five times in this quarantine already. I’ve been buying an extra challah especially for this. It’s a treat for my kids, but we all need an extra dose of something special these days!

• 1 loaf day-old challah, sliced into ¾-inch (2-cm) slices
• 5 eggs
• ³⁄₄ cup whole milk
• ¹⁄₃ cup brown sugar
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• pinch salt
• splash vanilla (optional)
• butter, for frying

Combine eggs, milk, sugar, salt, cinnamon, and vanilla. Let challah slices soak for 2–3 minutes to absorb the mixture, then panfry in butter in batches over medium heat.

—Michal Frischman, recipe columnist

(Originally featured in Family Table, Issue 690)