by Stephanie Berenbaum – September 1, 2010

Turn A Boring Frank into a Fabulous Feast

How do you turn an ordinary BBQ into a feast to remember – without spending a fortune?  Get creative with your dogs!  As you might remember, our favorite spread for Labor Day is the Regional Hot Dog Bar. Think about it: for the same price as it costs you to lay out some boring old dogs and the fixings, with a little imagination and a couple of extra minutes, you can make cheap hot dogs seem- frankly- a whole lot more exciting!

Setting Up Your Regional Hot Dog Bar

When setting up a hot dog bar, it is particularly frugal to start with the most famous regional styles of the bunch: the Chicago Style hot dog and New York Style hot dog.  By ‘marketing’ your get together as a ‘Regional Hot Dog Bar’, instead of just serving a cheap meal you suddenly have a festive and fun theme going!

The Chicago Hot Dog

*Recipe courtesy of Fluky’s Chicago Style Hot Dogs

Ingredients

• Boiled Hot Dogs
• Poppy Seed Buns (S. Rosens are a Chicago favorite)
• Yellow mustard
• Bright green (Neon) sweet relish
• Chopped Onions
• Kosher Dill Pickle Spears
• Tomato Slices
• 2 Serrano Sport Peppers (they are HOT)
• Dash of celery salt

Instructions

Heat hot dogs in boiling water to 170 degrees.  Put the hot dog in a steamed poppy seed bun.  Pile on toppings in this order: Mustard, Relish, Onions, Pickle, Tomatoes, peppers and celery salt.

New York Street Cart Dogs

Brandi is a New Yorker now, so let’s check out the recipe for those famous New York City “Street Cart Dogs” – sometimes affectionately referred to as “Dirty Water Dogs!”

Ingredients

• Boiled Hot dogs
• Plain Buns
• Deli Mustard
• Sabrett’s Onion Sauce
• Sauerkraut (optional)

Instructions:

The classic NYC cart dog is boiled in water, with onion sauce and deli mustard and sometimes sauerkraut, on a plain hot dog bun.  You can find recipes claiming to replicate the traditional Sabrett Onion Sauce online, but at only about $3.75 for a package, you might as well buy it.  lt looks like even Wal-Mart is carrying it these days!

**If you prefer to go the way of a traditional grilled New York weiner (a la Nathan’s) all you need to do is grill your franks instead of boil them, and top with brown mustard and sauerkraut and you are good to go!

Looking for an inexpensive, super easy to make appetizer to serve to a group with sophisticated taste buds? Check out this Fab & Fru favorite!  You can never go wrong when serving a crostini!

*Makes about 20 small crostini- Serves 6

Ingredients

• 1 French baugette (or other crusty bread)
  
• 4 oz of creamy goat cheese
• 2 leeks, cleaned well & chopped
• 1/4 extra virgin olive oil
• Salt & Pepper

Directions

Slice the baguette into about 20- 1/4 inch thick rounds and spread them onto a baking sheet.  Brush each slice of bread with a little olive oil and put in the oven at 4oo degrees until lightly toasted.  Let the crostini cool.

Sauté the leeks using the rest of the olive oil.  Add salt & pepper as the leeks soften.  Cook until caramelized.  Let cool.

Once the leeks are cool enough not to melt the goat cheese, mix the two together.  Add more salt & pepper to taste.  Spread the mixture onto each crostini and serve!

*Serves 8

Paella is thought to have originated as a laborers’ meal, cooked over an open fire and eaten right out of the pan in the fields surrounding Valencia Spain.  Having spent a semester of college in Valencia, I witnessed first hand the huge amount of pride the people of Valencia take in their city’s signature dish.  You can’t walk down the streets of town, during a festival, without seeing enormous paella pans simmering on an open flame with several people attending to each pot as they serve heaping portions to party goers.

Although the city of Valencia sits right along the coast of the Mediterranean, seafood was not part of the original dish.  In fact, although most of us think of paella as a delicious mix of sausage, chicken & shellfish, it is actually not traditional for seafood and meat to be mixed in the same paella!  However, the truth is you really can’t go wrong.  With countless paella variations to choose from, it is easy to please the seafood lover, meat eater and vegetarian.

This recipe is a twist on the traditional paella I learned to make during my stay in Valencia.  Add or omit veggies, fish or meat to fit those with allergies or finicky taste buds!

Paella Recipe

Serves 6-8

Ingredients

• 1-1 1/2 cups olive oil
• 1 red bell pepper, cut in strips
• 2 cloves of garlic, finely chop
• 1 small onion, finely chop
• 4 chicken legs & 1 breast, cut into pieces
• 20 fresh clams (in shells)- (you can also substitute with mussels or use both!)
• 1 pound of peeled fresh shrimp
• 1/2 teaspoon sweet paprika
• 1 pound of flat green beans, cut into 1-inch pieces (or a bag of frozen peas)
• 1 can of artichoke heart- cut in half
• 1 tomato, chopped
• 8-10 cups water, or fill up the paella pan to the height of the handles 2 times
• 4-5 cups ( 1 1/4 pound) white short grain rice
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1 pinch saffron, for coloring
• 4 sprigs of rosemary, as garnish
• Special equipment: paella pan or large shallow pan

Directions

Generously cover the bottom of a frying pan with olive oil and heat. Add the strips of pepper and fry until they start to soften. Remove and reserve for garnish. Fry the chicken until golden brown, adding more oil, as needed. Add the paprika half way through to add color to meat. Push the meat out to the edges of the pan.  Add the onion and brown.  Add the beans, garlic, artichokes and tomatoes in the center, mixing them well. Add 1/2 the water making sure to cover the pan until it is 1/2 full. Simmer for approximately 30 minutes until most of the water has evaporated. Add the shrimp & clams and cook for 5-10 minutes. *Make sure the all clam shell open (if not discard closed clams).

Add the rice, distributing it evenly over the pan and fry for a few minutes, moving it around in the pan. Add the rest of the water and cook for about 20 minutes. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper. Add a pinch of saffron for color. Once this is done the paella should not be stirred anymore.

For the last 1 to 2 minutes increase the heat to medium-high, until the bottom layer of rice starts to caramelize, creating what Valencians call the “socarrat”.  If the rice starts to burn remove the pan from the heat immediately.

Garnish the paella with the strips of red pepper and the sprigs of rosemary. Cover the pan and let it rest for 5 minutes before serving.

This delicious, refreshing & easy twist on white sangria is simply to die for!

*Serves 6-8

Ingredients

• One bottle of that White Port (a bottle of Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigio will do the trick too)
• 2oz of Simple Syrup
• A dash of orange bitters (optional)
• 1 pint of Blueberries
• 3 Fresh Peaches (cut and broiled with the basil til they are softened up [not browned])
• 1-1 1/2 cups of Basil, chop into thin strips & divide into 2 small piles
• 1/2 liter of Seltzer

Directions

Set your oven to broil- 500 degrees. Slice the peaches and toss them with a 1/2 cup of the chopped basil.  Lay the mixture on a cookie sheet.  Broil or roast the peaches about 5-10 minutes- until they’re soft but NOT browned!  Mix the rest of the ingredients together in a pitcher except for the seltzer. Cover and let it chill for at least 2 hours.  When you are ready to serve, add in the seltzer & stir.  Serve cold!

The Ultimate Spanish Tradition for Every Meal

When I spent a semester of college studying in Valencia, Spain, I lived in the home of a woman named Maria. Although not every meal was a culinary awakening for me, Maria did make two dishes superbly well: Paella and Tortilla Española.  Traditionally made with just eggs, onion and potato, Maria served a version of her simple specialty at least twice a week.  She would serve it with a salad for a light dinner, breakfast on the weekend, or she’d slice the leftovers cold, lay them on the bottom half of an sliced open baguette and  top it  with a few roasted peppers – making one my favorite sandwiches (or bocadillos) of all time!  It was delicious any time of day – and an added bonus – you can make it the day before and it keeps beautifully!  Whether you add greens for a veggie twist or make it the traditional way, you can’t go wrong with this Fab & Fru meal!

Ingredients:

*The key to making tortilla is to use more veggies than egg! ** Tortilla is thick so make sure to use a frying pan that has a little height.

2 Eggs (beaten)

Splash of Milk

1 Small Onion

1 Medium Potato

A Small Bunch of Fresh Spinach or Swiss Chard (optional)

Olive Oil

Salt

Pepper

Cut both the onion and potato in half and thinly slice.  Generously coat the bottom of a medium size frying pan or skillet with olive oil (use enough so you can easily flip the tortilla in a few minutes). Sauté the onion and potato until both are cooked through but not brown.  While that is cooking, chop the greens into thin strips and add to the pan before the onion and potato begin to brown.  Whip the eggs,  milk, salt and pepper  with a fork and pour into the pan on.  Cook as thoroughly as possible.  Then take a large plate and carefully slide the tortilla onto the plate (do not try to flip it directly from the pan).  Take another large plate and carefully turn over the tortilla, remove the top plate and gently slide the uncooked side back into the frying pan.  Cook until golden brown. Once again, gently slide the cooked tortilla onto a plate and serve!

For some reason, I did not discover strata until about five years ago when my mother made it for brunch during a weekend long family reunion.   Unbelievably scrumptious, inexpensive, and easy to make, strata is conveniently prepared (mostly) the night before and is perfect for serving large groups of people!

The key to making strata is to use a hard chewy crusted bread like French or Sourdough.  The variations of strata are limited only by one’s imagination, but my mother’s friend Randee makes a cheese, ham and mushroom strata that is to die for!

12 Slices of French or Sourdough Bread

1 1/2 Sticks of Butter

1 Small Onion

1 Cup Fresh Cap Mushrooms Sliced

2 Tbs Olive Oil

1 1/2 Cups of Shredded Gruyere Cheese (approx 1/2 lb)

6-8 Slices of thinly sliced ham

7 Eggs

3 Cups of Milk

3/4 tsp of Dried Mustard

Salt

Pepper

1 1/2 Cups of Cornflakes

Butter a 9×13 casserole dish.  Chop the onion and sauté with the sliced mushrooms until brown.  While that is cooking, lightly butter each slice of bread on both side.  Line the bottom of the casserole dish with bread.  Layer the ham, cheese and mushrooms & onions.  Cover with the remaining bread slices.

Whip together the 7 eggs and three cups of milk,  3/4 teaspoon of dry mustard, and salt & pepper to taste.  Pour the egg mixture over the ingredients in the casserole dish, cover and place in the refrigerator over night so the bread can completely absorb the egg mixture.

The next morning, pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees. Before baking, mix 1 1/2 cups crushed corn flakes mixed with 1/2 cup of melted butter and sprinkle on top of the casserole.

Bake at 350  for one hour.  Let cool and serve!

Of course both Passover & Easter fall in spring, so the greens of a fresh salad fit right in on your Passover table or at your Easter brunch.  Instead of going out and spending a ton on a million different ingredients,  a simple tasty salad is the best way to go.  Eggs are very symbolic on the Passover table as well as in the Eater tradition, so use hard boiled egg as the focal point of this salad, and you won’t need a bunch of pricey ingredients!

Ingredients

2 Different Heads of Lettuce (washed)

2-3 Hard Boiled Eggs

Vinaigrette Dressing

Salt & Pepper

Make sure to combine lettuces with differing textures (like romaine mixed with arugula or iceberg). This is important both for texture and appearance – you can chop iceberg and tear romaine to make a more interesting look.  All I do is toss the lettuce with a simple vinaigrette and top with sliced hard boiled egg – voila!  A simple, inexpensive salad that incorporates a symbolic holiday food – done!

This Spring Chicken dish is a Passover classic.  There are a ton of variations, some more involved than others.  This is my favorite – I make it with a lot of sauce so the chicken ends up also sort of braising as it is roasting.  And it always tastes better when made the night before so the flavors really soak in!

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Ingredients:

Whole chicken cut into pieces, plus several more pieces (depends on pan size)

1 Jar apricot preserves (12 ounces)

1 Bottle Wish Bone Russian dressing

1 Onion cut up

Garlic Powder

Salt

Pepper

Rub the chicken pieces with a mixture of salt, pepper and garlic powder. Mix a jar of apricot preserves with a bottle of Russian dressing. Dice up an onion and mix it in, and pour mixture over chicken.  Bake at 350 degrees for about an hour or until done. I like this recipe best when the chicken is left on the bone with the skin,  but you can also do it with boneless, skinless chicken breast. If you do boneless, be sure to cover it when you cook it so it doesn’t dry out!

*Make your brisket the night before so the flavors really have a chance to blend and the meat becomes super tender.

Preheat Oven to 375 degrees

Ingredients:

One First Cut Brisket (poundage depends on how many guests you are having – I usually go with a 4 pounder or so..)

One bottle Heinz Chili Sauce

Water

Dark Brown Sugar (light brown works just fine too if that’s what you’ve got)

2 Thinly Sliced Onions

Put the brisket in a baking dish with sides – (simple Pyrex works great)  I like to put it fat side down.  Slice the onions and place on top of brisket – enough to cover it pretty well.

Cook brisket at 375 for about 30 minutes – uncovered – in oven.  This is to brown it.

In the meantime, pour the chili sauce in a bowl and use the sauce bottle to add three bottles full of water to the chili sauce.  Throw in ¾ cup brown sugar and mix it up.

When you take the brisket out of oven after 30 minutes, pour the sauce over the brisket, cover tightly with foil.  Turn the oven down to 325 degrees.  Stick the brisket back in and cook it – for an hour per pound (this includes the 30 min you have already done).

Nancy’s recipe calls for a longer cooking time than others, and as a result makes the meat so tender you can’t believe it!  You know it’s done when a serrated knife goes through it like butter.

When done, take out and cool.  Then refrigerate.  After it has been in the fridge for a while (yes, I usually do this part in the middle of the night), slice the brisket – going against the grain.  And then spoon the sauce over the whole thing again so the pieces are swimming in it.  Recover and put back in fridge until next day.

The slices sitting in sauce over night become super tender and tasty!   Tastes like your grandmother spent a week making it, when in reality minimal prep and uses only a few very Fru ingredients!