Good Food

September 15, 2012
Rosh HaShana

Time for good food... again... this time ... apples & honey!!  Here is a great, moist recipe that incorporates both holiday foods.... The 2 Spies hope you enjoy this tasty cake.... and have a meaningful Holiday and a Sweet New Year....


 Apple Honey Cake

1 C sugar
1 C oil
2 eggs
3/4 C honey
1 teaspoon Vanilla 
2 1/2 C flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon allspice
3 apples ~ peeled and shredded (we leave our peels on)
3/4 C chopped walnuts

1. Stir together oil & Sugar
2. Beat in eggs until light. Add honey and vanilla
3. Combine dry ingredients and stir into batter just until moist.
4. Fold in apples and nuts.
5. Pour into greased and floured bundt pan. Bake at 325 50-65 minutes. Let cool 10-15 minutes before inverting pan. Sprinkle with powdered sugar.

April 8, 2012

Enjoy this marvelous chocolate snack for Pesach!  

 Matzah Almond Roca
4 squares of matzah
8 ounces (2 sticks) of unsalted butter, plus extra to butter the foil
1 cup brown sugar
12 ounces of chopped chocolate (your choice of milk or dark)
1/2 cup unsalted almonds, toasted and roughly chopped

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil and butter the top well. Lay the 4 squares of matzah in a single layer on the foil (you’ll have to break a couple to make them fit).

In a medium sized saucepan, melt the 8 ounces of butter with the brown sugar over medium heat. Bring it to a simmer and stir. It should be bubbling but not a rapid boil. Let it cook for 5 minutes, stirring a few times, until it thickens and is golden brown. Pour the toffee evenly over the matzah spread so it is coated. Pop the pan in the oven for 5 minutes.

Remove and immediately sprinkle the chocolate pieces over the toffee topping. When the chocolate has softened a bit, spread it evenly with a knife. Scatter the chopped almonds over the top. Place the baking pan in the freezer for 1 hour.

When completely chilled, break into pieces and store in a covered container in the fridge.








March 14, 2012
Seven Species Salad

This morning I was reading in the Torah:

For the L-rd your G-d is bringing you into a good land...a land with wheat and barley, vines and fig trees, pomegranates, olive oil and honey...

What a marvelous list of some of the most basic and health-full foods. What a scrumptous picture of abundance and provision! Is there anything more lovely to for the eyes than the abundance of the harvest? We have decided to begin this section with a recipe that incorporates all of the 7 speices from the Torah. We hope you enjoy this salad as much as we do! (The original recipe came from teh online Jerusalem Post about 7 years ago)

Seven Species Salad

Serve this festive salad as a meatless main course, along with a green salad or as an appetizer.

4 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, more if needed

1 large onion, chopped

3/4 cup pearl barley

1 3/4 - 2 cups vegatable broth

salt and freshly ground pepper

2 teaspoons fresh or 1 teaspoon dried thyme OR 1 teaspoon dried za'atar

3/4 cup medium bulgur wheat

1/3 cup dried figs, cut in thin slices

1/4 - 1/3 cup raisins

2 teaspoons pomegranate paste (OR pomegranate juice OR a few spponfuls of fresh pomegrante seeds)

2 tablespoons wine vinegar

2 teaspoons honey

1/4 cup chopped green onion

1/4 cup chopped parsley

2 or 3 small cucumbers, diced

1/3 cup black olives, halved

1/2 to 1/3 cup crumbled feta or diced goat cheese

1/4 cup sliced almonds, toasted

Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large, heavy saucepan. Add onion and saute over medium heat, stirring often until softened butnot brown.

Remove half of the onion and set aside. Add barley to pan and saute, stirring, 1 minute. Add vegetable broth, salt, pepper and thyme and bring to a boil. Cover and cook over low heat for 40 minutes or until barley is tender, adding more broth if needed.

Spoon reserved onion into another saucepan and heat it. Add bulgur wheat and saute, stirring, 2 minutes. Add 1 1/2 cups water, salt, pepper and bring to a boil. Cover and cook over low heat for 10 minutes. Add figs and raisins, cover and cook for 5 more minutes or until water is absorbed and bulgur and fruit are tender. Fluff barley with a fork. LIghtly fold in bulgur wheat mixture. Cool to room temperature. For dressing, whisk pomegranate paste with vinegar, honey, salt and pepper. Add remaining oil. Fold into barley mixture. Add green onions, parsley, cucumbers and half the olives. Taste and adjust seasong. Serve topped with remaining olives, chees and almonds.

Makes 6-8 servings.





March 13, 2012
The 2 Spies are so very happy that our Blog~Builder made it easier (finally) to add pages!! Now we can post recipes! Check back every now and then for something new (or not so new) and hopefully delicious...