Turkey Matzo Ball Soup

For all of you suffering from post-Black Friday exhaustion, here’s a simple soup that you can make with relatively few ingredients.

Recipe:

2 packets Manischewitz matzo ball mix

4 eggs

4 tablespoons vegetable oil

5 quarts cold water

1 onion, finely chopped

3 sticks celery, chopped

2 carrots, chopped

1 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons chicken stock

Start by mixing the eggs and vegetable oil together, then when they are well-mixed add the packets of matzo ball mix. Stir it together with a fork until it is evenly mixed. Then, place the mixture in your refrigerator for 15 minutes.

After you have placed the bowl in the fridge, take a large pot (10 quarts size is good) and boil the water. Chop the onions, celery and carrots and add them in as well as the chicken stock. When your matzo ball mix is ready to be taken out of the fridge, wash your hands and then dry so as to preserve a small amount of moisture on your hands. Roll the matzo ball mix into small spherical balls about 1 inch in diameter, then drop them into the water. You should wait about twenty minutes and then it will be ready to serve! You could add turkey or chicken if you’d like a more hearty soup, or garnish with cilantro for additional flavor.

Julie’s Cranberry Mould

We’re starting this blog off with a family thanksgiving favorite- a cranberry-orange mould that my mother-in-law Julie first identified as a winner. It’s the freshest tasting cranberry-orange thing you’ve ever eaten, with a very satisfying combination of sweet and tart flavors.

The ingredients:

4 cups (1 pound) fresh cranberries

1 large orange

1 3 oz. package Lemon gelatin dessert

1 tablespoon plain gelatin

1/4 cup cold water

3 cups boiling water

2 cups granulated sugar

Directions: Wash the cranberries and drain them. Cut the orange (peeled or unpeeled) into small pieces. Put both the cranberries and the orange into a food processor and process by turning the pulse button on and off. Add the granulated sugar and wait for 15 minutes or until the sugar has dissolved.

Put the plain gelatin into cold water for 5 minutes, then dissolve it over simmering water. Pour boiling water over the lemon gelatin. Add the dissolved plain gelatin, mix well and let it stand until slightly congealed.

Then, combine it with the cranberry mixture. Brush a 7-inch ring mould with vegetable oil, then pour in the mixture and let it gel for 10 hours.

Keep the mixture in the fridge until it is thoroughly set (about 10 hours). When you’re ready to serve it, loosen the edges of the mould with a small knife and then flip it over onto the serving platter.

If it won’t come loose, put the mould briefly in hot water for ten seconds and then flip it onto the serving platter.