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Dinner Party Delight: Irene’s Famous Salad Dressing

IrenesFamousSaladDressing.TheCubanReuben.comA few weeks ago, Kenny and I were invited to our friends’ house for Shabbat dinner. This is a big deal, because often times our friends get nervous about inviting me, the in-house foodie, to eat their home-cooked food. The truth is, as much as I love cooking for others, I also appreciate when others cook (or order in) for me! It’s really a treat, and this particular dinner was no exception. Leading up to the occasion, we were teased with promises of an old family recipe for Russian short ribs, which Irene paired with creamy, stick-to-your-ribs polenta. Yes, the short ribs most certainly lived up to the hype, as there may or may not have been a moment where all four of us bonded over sucking on the bones after the meat literally slid off. Even when there was no meat left, we tore pieces of my challah to mop up any remaining sauce. That’s how good it was. And yes, home-style polenta was certainly the perfect choice to accompany such a decadent and special dish. But those tasty eats aside, I must admit that the true dark-horse dish of the evening was a simple salad Irene prepared, that was topped with a homemade dressing.

Pre-dressing, my salad included spring mix lettuce, sliced hearts of palm, cherry tomatoes, toasted pine nuts, and chunks of fresh avocado.
Pre-dressing, my salad included spring mix lettuce, sliced hearts of palm, baby heirloom tomatoes, toasted pine nuts, and chunks of fresh avocado.

I know it seems hard to believe that when compared to short ribs and polenta, the star of the evening would be dinner salad, but trust me on this one, as it was all in the dressing. I will always favor a homemade dressing to the jarred stuff you can get at the store, particularly because they are so easy to make. Irene combined a handful of both savory and sweet ingredients, like real maple syrup and dijon mustard, that so perfectly heightened her choice of salad mix-ins, and for several days after our dinner, I was still thinking about it. This is why, when I planned the next dinner party Kenny and I hosted, I knew exactly which salad dressing to feature.

Rachel, sporting her mighty peach upside-down cake.
Rachel, sporting her mighty peach upside-down cake.

As my guests arrived with their pot-luck offerings in tow, I quickly shook up the ingredients of the dressing in a small mason jar, and placed the jar alongside the salad on the dinner table. It was really that easy. After a quick photo for good measure, we chowed down on dinner, and before we knew it, there wasn’t a morsel of lettuce left of the salad to speak of.

Dinnerpartyguests.TheCubanReuben.com
Dinner guests, anxiously awaiting the photo, so that they can start eating!

It looks like I’m not the only fan of Irene’s famous dressing! Next time you’re in the mood for whipping up some homemade dressing, give this one a whirl. Or a shake, for that matter. It may be the je ne sais qoui to kick up your favorite salad just a notch.

Irene's Famous Salad Dressing
 
Author:
Recipe type: Side Dish
Serves: 6-8
Prep time:
Total time:
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Kick up your salads a notch with this easy, homemade dressing recipe.
Ingredients
  • ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 3 Tbs. white balsamic vinegar
  • 2 Tbs. pure maple syrup
  • 1 heaping Tbs. coarse ground dijon mustard
  • 1 shallot, finely minced
  • 1 three-finger pinch each of Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
  1. Combine all ingredients in a lidded jar, seal tightly, and shake vigorously until oil has emulsified and everything is well-incorporated.
  2. Chill until right before serving.
Notes
Irene also suggests trying flavored balsamics, like peach or fig, for this recipe.

 

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Cuban Chicken Soup with Matzoh Balls: Jewban Penicillin

Cuban Matzoh Ball Soup marked

I think it’s safe to say that every Jewish grandmother who has proclaimed, “You should eat more!” has a mean recipe for chicken soup in her arsenal. For generations, colds and flus have gone to battle with bowls and bowls of Jewish penicillin made by these Bubbes, and my Abuela was no exception.

veggies for soup copy marked
My produce pile. Malanga looks a lot like a small woodland creature, before it is peeled.

I come from a family of strong women, so it is fitting that our recipe for chicken soup isn’t the clear-broth version with a lonely floating carrot slice. Ours is a stick-to-your-bones and prepare-for-war kind of soup, chalk full of nutrient-rich vegetables and flavors that awaken the senses.   My favorite part of this soup is how the kabocha squash disintegrates into the broth, giving it a wholesome creamy texture without the heaviness of added butter or milk. Plus, the crunch of the bok choy and zucchini packs a solid punch of vitamin c, and makes it easy for me to eat my greens. Couple all of this with my mother-in-law’s recipe for the fluffiest, most light-as-air matzoh balls, and you’ve got yourself the better part of a Seder.

As featured on The Nosher, at MyJewishLearning.com.

bayleaves and allspice marked
My allspice and bay leaves pouch.

This recipe may be a mish mosh of the traditions of my husband’s family and mine, but it is certainly one I would be proud to share at any Passover table or year-round.

Cuban Matzoh Ball Soup - close up marked
The thick broth is the best part of this hearty soup!

 

5.0 from 1 reviews
Cuban Chicken Soup with Matzoh Balls
 
Author:
Recipe type: Main
Cuisine: Cuban
Serves: 8-10
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
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Serve this hearty, stick-to-your-ribs soup during Passover or year-round.
Ingredients
For the matzoh balls:
  • 1 cup of matzoh meal
  • ½ cup club soda
  • 4 eggs with yolks
  • ⅓ cup vegetable oil
  • 1 teaspoon of salt
  • dash of pepper
  • dash of nutmeg
For the soup:
  • 2 Tbs. extra virgin olive oil
  • 15 whole allspice berry
  • 3 bay leaves
  • 1 medium onion, finely chopped
  • 2 carrots, peeled and diced
  • 2 ½ lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts (or thighs)
  • 4 cloves of garlic, finely minced
  • 2 medium malangas*, peeled and coarsely diced
  • 2 quarts of low sodium chicken broth
  • 1 tsp of bijol powder (optional)*
  • 6 culantro leaves*
  • ½ Kabocha squash, peeled and coarsely diced
  • Kosher salt and Freshly ground black pepper
  • 4 baby bok choy, cut into quarters, lengthwise
  • 2 zucchinis, sliced into ½" slices
  • 1 lime, sliced
Instructions
For the Matzoh Balls:
  1. Combine all ingredients until just mixed, careful not to over mix.
  2. Cover the mixture, and refrigerate for at least an hour.
  3. Boil water with salt (or chicken broth). Oil hands, then make small balls (1 inch in diameter), and add them to boiling water.
  4. Cover, lower the heat to medium low and simmer for about 25 minutes.
  5. Transfer the matzoh balls to the soup.
For the soup:
  1. In a large stock pot, heat olive oil over medium/high heat.
  2. Using a piece of cheesecloth and kitchen twine, tightly secure the 15 allspice berries and the bay leaves together in a small pouch.
  3. Place onions, carrots, chicken pieces and the spice pouch in the stock pot, and sauté for about 8 minutes, or until onions are translucent and chicken has slightly browned, mixing frequently.
  4. Add the garlic, the malangas, and broth. Bring to a boil, cover and cook for 15 minutes.
  5. Add the bijol powder, the culantro, kabocha squash, salt and pepper, and cook for another 15 minutes.
  6. Remove the chicken pieces, set aside until cool to the touch, shred them, and then return to the soup.
  7. Add the bok choy and zucchini, and cook 10 more minutes, or until bok choy softens, and zucchini are cooked through.
  8. Remove the culantro leaves and the spice pouch.
  9. Serve immediately, or cool and refrigerate or freeze for later use. Garnish with slices of lime.
Notes
Some of the ingredients may be hard to find. Here is a list of acceptable substitutions:
Malangas - yuca or potatoes
Bijol powder - saffron powder, achiote powder, or omit from recipe, as it is optional.
Culantro leaves - 1 bundle of cilantro, secured in cheesecloth, so that it won't dissolve into the soup and can easily be removed.

 

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