Recipes Blog

Mother's Day Recipes

Mother's Day falls at a truly wonderful time of year. Spring is here, the flowers are blooming, everyone seems to be out and about and enjoying themselves. It's really a lovely time to celebrate and thank the Moms in our lives. We've compiled a grouping of simple, delicious brunch ideas any mom would enjoy. Maybe try breakfast in bed this year!

 

Mother’s Day Stuffed French Toast
"I hate going out on Mother’s Day – it’s crowded, expensive and you never really get a chance to sit and visit with your family and friends. Since Zabar’s has always been a part of my life Sunday brunch usually involves Bagels, Cream Cheese and Nova.  But on Mother’s Day I love to make French Toast and serve it with hot real maple syrup and fresh strawberries.  

This is one of my favorite Sunday Brunch treats. 

It is easy to make and really yummy. Prepare it the night before – and refrigerate. In the morning bake and enjoy!"

 

Our (new) Favorite Banana Bread
"Banana Bread is my go to treat when company pays a surprise visit, as a simple hostess gift or when we just need something delicious to snack on. Recently we held a bake-off in my house. My husband swears by his mom’s recipe so we compared her recipe to a new one I’ve been working on to an old standard from a tried-and-true cook book. 

And here is the one that won across the board. We all favored it, even my mother-in-law! ..."

 

Spinach and Goat Cheese Quiche
"Here is a recipe for the easiest, most adaptable quiche ever. I have made this for dinner parties, afternoon luncheons, breakfasts and brunches and it always meets rave reviews. What’s so great about preparing a quiche is you can fill it with whatever ingredients and cheeses you have on hand, making it the perfect dish for last minute meals. And this time of year, it’s just wonderful to make because it’s absolutely appropriate to serve quiche at room temperature. So cook one up while the morning is still cool and have a terrific brunch later that day."

 

Hazelnut and Orange Blossom Shortbread with Dried Cherries
"Last year on Mother’s Day, I made these light, pillow-y hazelnut shortbread cookies (well, sans Orange Blossom Water or dried cherries) and brought them to my Moroccan sister-in-law as a small token for her always put-me-to-shame, ridiculously generous hospitality.  Upon tasting them, she was absolutely certain that I had somehow gotten the family recipe from one of her sisters, and then proceeded to describe to me the almond cookies her mother used to make.  They were apparently quite similar in style to mine, but were enhanced with the essence of Orange Blossom Water, an ingredient, along with Rose Water, that she herself often uses in her amazing Moroccan repertoire of everything from salads to tagines and couscous to desserts..."

Happy Mother's Day!

Oven Roasted Asparagus

A recipe by Andrea Watman

I have to admit it – I love asparagus. Growing up we rarely had asparagus – they were expensive and difficult to cook. My mother finally came up with the idea of cooking them in our white 12 cup corning percolator. She would stand them in the coffee pot – add water, put the cover on and boil them until they were done – actually over done! Then she would drain them by pouring the water out – and the cooked asparagus were served.

This procedure always led to a fight, my father, Nathan, loved hot strong coffee and felt that his favorite coffee pot should be reserved for brewing coffee. My mother, Pearl, felt asparagus were elegant and that there was nothing wrong with multi tasking.

Working at Zabar’s she certainly could have purchased as asparagus steamer. But, our kitchen was small, storage space was an issue, and she really enjoyed the fight over the corning coffee pot. Both my parents are gone – but the corning coffee pot has survived – so, I guess my mom was right. Sorry dad.

There are such beautiful green asparagus in the market – I hope you’ll give this recipe a try. Enjoy!

Passover Apple Pecan Pie

By Tori Avey, The Shiksa in the Kitchen

Here’s the thing… I love pie. Love, love, love it! But at Passover, when leavening is not an option, making a tasty pie crust becomes much more difficult. This recipe evolved out of my need for a Passover pie substitute (because let’s face it– it’s really, really hard to get through an entire week without pie). I did away with the crust entirely and instead relied on matzo cracker crumbs to hold the filling together. The result is something between an apple crumble, a pan dowdy and a pie. Whatever you want to call it, it’s delicious!

Bake this Passover dessert in an old-fashioned pie dish, and nobody will complain about the missing crust… the flavor is very similar to a nutty apple pie. The candied pecans add a crunchy sweet topping to this decadent Passover treat. Serve ala mode for extra deliciousness.

Andrea’s Overnight Turkey Recipe

By Andrea Watman

The very best part of Thanksgiving is sitting down at a table crowded with my family and friends - the worst part is having to cook a big meal in my apartment size oven. 

There were many years that I would get up at 6 in the morning to start the turkey – and I would be exhausted by the time we sat to dinner. I began to dread the holiday.

I am a night person and had to come up with a solution. One year my father, Nathan, recommended that I stay up all night and cook. I knew he was joking – but why not cook and sleep at the same time!

So be brave and try my overnight turkey – you will awake to a house that smells divine, an oven that is perfectly warm and ready to be filled with stuffing, yams and pies.

This recipe works best with a large bird.  I prefer a turkey that is 20 – 22 Lbs. You will also need an instant read thermometer so that you can be totally convinced that the turkey is fully cooked.  I start at 11:00 pm – so that by midnight the kitchen is cleaned and the turkey is cooking all by itself. When I awake I have a fully cooked turkey and empty oven.  

Since this turkey is going to be cooked slowly at a fairly low temperature, do not stuff the turkey cavity.  Cook your stuffing separately. 

Grandma Bertha’s Sunday Tuna Casserole

by Andrea Watman

With great sorrow and deepest affection, Zabar's announces the passing of our creative director, Andrea Watman. Read Andrea's obituary. We're republishing her wonderful and popular recipe and story for "Grandma Bertha's Sunda Tuna Casserole". We miss you Andrea.

My sister Joy and I spent summers with our grandparents in Long Beach, NY. We had a four bedroom bungalow on Georgia Avenue (four bedrooms, an indoor toilet, outside shower, no closets and just a few termites).

It was in that kitchen I learned to cook by watching my Grandma make dinner. Sunday’s were always exciting. Our relatives would journey out to “the beach” from the Bronx – actually they never went to the beach, but they did breath in the ocean air.

Now – most families would barbecue – but not at my house. My grandmother hated the barbecue – it was never clean enough, she hated the flavor or the charcoal and lighter fluid and yes, she knew sooner or later we would set the house on fire.

She would crack out the Kraft Macaroni & Cheese Dinner, in the trusted blue box, and make the best Tuna Casserole ever. She baked it in the afternoon so that the kitchen would cool before we ate. She would slice cucumbers and fresh tomatoes – and dinner was served.

I no longer use the blue box – but this is her recipe, just slightly updated.

Enjoy!

A recipe for Flo's Summer Bowtie Pasta Salad

by Andrea Watman 

Go to the recipe.

This is my favorite summer pasta salad. It makes a great picnic lunch or dinner and it’s a perfect addition to any summer buffet.

Enjoy!

Go to the recipe.

Flo's Summer Bowtie Pasta Salad

by Andrea Watman

This is my favorite summer pasta salad. It makes a great picnic lunch or dinner and it’s a perfect addition to any summer buffet.

Enjoy!

A collection of our Passover Recipes

Enjoy these time-tested Passover favorites.

Passover Brittles Recipe

Passover Matzoh Brie (Fried Matzoh)

Passover Matzoh Balls

Passover Moroccan Charoset "Truffles"

Almond & Olive Oil Tuile Cookies

Roasted Spring Peppers

By Andrea Watman

Spring is here!! There are such beautiful fruits and vegetables available. My family loves fresh roasted peppers served with fresh mozzarella cheese.

My sister Joy and I learned how to make roasted peppers from Madeline DiGiovanni – perhaps you remember her “One Pot Dinner”. She would grill her peppers on an outside grill – slice fresh garlic and the leaves of flat leaf parsley.

My sister Joy still grills her peppers on an outside grill. My nephew Ben has become the Pepper Grilling Master; he knows just when to turn them and loves loading them into the paper bag. I do mine in the oven. Both methods produce peppers that are totally delicious.

Raspberry & Goat Cheese Salad

with Raspberry Citrus Vinaigrette
From Andrea Watman 

As soon as I change my calendar to January I begin thinking about Valentine's Day.

I will spare you the stories on my trimming filet mignon into heart shapes, cutting roasted beets into hearts, heart shaped meat loaf with heart shaped French fries, or the year I made heart shaped lasagna. I love to have friends over and celebrate - I have hand painted heart plates, heart shaped champagne flutes. I have decorated the table with paper lace dollies, pink and red candles and candy conversation hearts.

I always start the meal by cutting fresh pumpernickel bread into hearts - spreading sweet butter on them, topping them with scotch salmon, fresh lemon juice and capers. I serve Kir Royale - champagne with a splash of blackberry liquor and a fresh raspberry.No matter what the main course this is the salad I serve. 

I wish you a Valentine's Day filled with the company of friends, the hint love and romance with just a dash of mystery!