We asked Susie what her family loves and what her fans love…and discovered one more little culinary secret.
Everyone has a “favorite Susie Fishbein recipe.” But with 2600 recipes to choose from throughout 9 books, do we have lots of favorites in common? Or better yet, do we share favorites with the Fishbein family themselves? We called Susie to find out.
BCP: What is your family’s favorite recipe?
Susie: There’s too many to list but here are some standouts: Sesame Noodles, Wonton-Wrapped Chicken, Cauliflower Popcorn, Sweet Potato Soup with Maple Roasted Pecans, Pretzel Crusted Lamb Chops, Yemenite Beef Soup, Pesto Salmon, Silan Bosch Challah, and Warm Runny Chocolate Soufflés.
Wonton-Wrapped Chicken with apricot dipping sauce
Reproduced from Kosher by Design by Susie Fishbein with permission from the copyright holders ArtScroll/Mesorah Publications, LTD.
I know another product on the market has already coined the phrase “Bet you can’t eat just one.” But even someone who could stick with a single potato chip could not stop at just one of these outstanding appetizers.
Won ton wrappers are available at most supermarkets. They are usually kept with the produce, near the Asian vegetables. The ones called for in this recipe are the smaller 31?2-inch square ones. The larger won ton wrappers are really for egg rolls.
- 3 teaspoons brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 4 teaspoons dry sherry
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 6 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon soy sauce
- 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 3 cutlets), cut into approximately 32 (1-inch) squares
- 1 (12-ounce) package won ton wrappers
- 2 cups peanut oil
- 12 ounces apricot preserves
- 4 teaspoons yellow mustard
- 4 tablespoons teriyaki sauce
- Marinated Chicken:
- In a small bowl combine the brown sugar, salt, garlic, sherry, cornstarch, vegetable oil, and soy sauce. Mix the chicken squares with the marinade; cover and refrigerate for 8 hours or overnight.
- Wrappers:
- Lay the won ton wrappers in a single layer. Place 1 square of the marinated chicken in the center of the won ton wrapper. Dab a small amount of marinade on each of the corners. Fold the won ton over the chicken by bringing each of the corners to the center of the square, overlapping slightly, like a squared envelope.
- Heat the peanut oil in a large skillet until hot. Cook the won ton wrapped chicken for about 2 minutes per side, turning once.
- Apricot Dipping Sauce:
- In a small bowl, blend the apricot preserves, mustard, and teriyaki sauce. Serve 4 won tons on each plate with the dipping sauce in the center.
- Yield: 8 servings
BCP: What recipe do you think is the most popular from all your cookbooks?
Susie: Amongst Conservative Jews, Tri Color Gefilte Fish; among Orthodox, Cauliflower Popcorn.
Cauliflower Popcorn
Reproduced from Kosher by Design Entertains by Susie Fishbein with permission from the copyright holders ArtScroll/Mesorah Publications, LTD.
You will pop these gorgeous golden carb-friendly treats into your mouth like popcorn. The simple high-heat roasting method brings out the natural sugars of the vegetable, and the spice combination works great in both flavor and color. Don’t cut florets too small because they shrink while cooking.
- 2 heads cauliflower, cut into medium-sized florets, stems discarded
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 1?4 teaspoon onion powder
- 1?4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1?2 teaspoon paprika
- 1?4-1?2 teaspoon turmeric
- 6-8 tablespoon olive oil
- Preheat oven to 450?F.
- Line a jelly-roll pan or baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, combine the salt, sugar, onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, turmeric, and oil. Add cauliflower florets and toss to evenly coat.
- Place in a single layer on the prepared sheet.
- Roast, uncovered, for 30-35 minutes, until the largest pieces can be pierced with a fork. If the tops begin to become too brown, toss the cauliflower during the baking process.
BCP: Is there a dish you make that’s not really a recipe but you make all the time? Something that your family loves but you couldn’t put in a cookbook because it’s either embarrassingly simple and/or uses ready-made or store-bought ingredients?
Susie: Showtime Chicken. I use my Showtime Rotisserie Grill and Paul Pudhommes Barbecue Magic Spice for an amazing rotisserie chicken.
Yemenite Beef Soup
Reproduced from Kosher by Design Cooking Coach by Susie Fishbein with permission from the copyright holders ArtScroll/Mesorah Publications, LTD.
Hawaij is a flavorful Middle Eastern spice mixture. It is delicious but not fiery; a basic version contains cumin, cardamom, turmeric, coriander, and black pepper. You can buy it at any well-stocked kosher supermarket or on the internet.
If you have the time, refrigerate the soup overnight. Before you reheat the soup, remove the solidified layer of fat from the top.
- 3 tablespoons canola oil
- 2 pounds beef marrow bones
- 1½ pounds cubed shell roast or beef stew meat
- 1 onion, peeled, cut into ½-inch dice
- 6 cloves fresh garlic, sliced
- 2 teaspoons hawaij Yemenite spice mixture
- ¼ cup tomato paste (from a small can)
- 3 carrots, peeled, cut into thick rounds
- 6 cups chicken stock
- 2 large or 3 small russet potatoes, peeled, cut into large chunks
- chopped fresh cilantro for garnish
- Heat the oil in a large soup pot, over medium heat. Add the beef marrow bones. Stir, cover, and cook for 5 minutes. Add the beef cubes, cover, cook for 10 minutes longer, until there is some brown coloring on both the bones and the meat.
- Uncover the pot and add the onion and garlic; cook for 5 minutes. Sprinkle in the hawaij. Stir and cook for 3 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste, coating the meat and bones. Cook for 3-4 minutes to deepen the tomato flavor. Add the carrots and stock. Cover the pot. Turn the heat to low and cook, simmering for 1 hour. Skim off any foam or fat.
- Add the potatoes. Cover and cook for an additional hour.
- Discard the bones. Ladle soup into bowls. Garnish with chopped cilantro.
About Susie Fishbein:
Susie Fishbein is a world-famous kosher cook and author. Her acclaimed Kosher by Design series has sold close to 500,000 copies worldwide and has led to hundreds of personal appearances from coast to coast and abroad. She has been the featured celebrity guest on cruise ships as well as at week-long culinary adventures in Israel and in Italy. You can join Susie on her next culinary tour of Israel! Experience the country’s rich blend of flavors, learn from award-winning chefs, and enjoy fine dining and top culinary attractions. Click here to learn more about this adventure!
I’ve made all three dishes in the past and my family loved it!!! Huge fan of Susie!