Recipes Blog

Honoring Harold Horowytz Zabar’s Deli Maestro!

Harold Horowytz made a mean sandwich. An amazing sandwich. The kind customers would send us emails about, would rave to their friends about, the kind you could easily share for lunch.

Harold’s recipe for Zabar's Hot Pastrami Sandwich - At Home! appears in our spring catalog, along with a dedication to Harold. Thank you for all the years and wonderful memories, Harold!

Harold's recipe for
Zabar's Hot Pastrami Sandwich - At Home!

by Harold Horowytz

Serves 1

Ingredients 

Zabar’s sliced pastrami
Zabar’s sourdough rye bread
Zabar's deli mustard

Optional Ingredients

Sliced Swiss cheese
Russian dressing
Pickle on the side

Preparation

1. Warm your Zabar’s sliced pastrami in a double boiler. Heat until just warm. Do not heat in an oven or microwave. Do not over-cook.

2. Cut two ½" slices of Zabar’s rye bread.

3. Spread a generous amount of Zabar’s mustard on one or both slices. (Alternatively, spread one with mustard and the other with Russian dressing.)

4. Pile on the warmed pastrami!

5. Add a few slices of Swiss cheese (optional).

6. Top with second slice of bread and DEVOUR!

Want to change it up? Zabar’s corned beef can be substituted for pastrami.

TIP!
No double-boiler? No problem! Put 1" of water in a pot, and stack a smaller pot on top. Add pastrami to the top pot, heat water and voila!

 

Summertime Slow Cooker Shredded BBQ

By Ryan Hughes

It’s what every barbecue lover wants; a recipe you can easily make at home that will make you think you’re at a barbecue joint. Well, here it is!

It’s that time of year when we want to bask in the sun (and shade). Dip our feet in the pool, relax with a cold drink and do not too much work for dinner. Whether you’re planning a party, making dinner with leftovers or want to impress your foodie friends, this is a great recipe. What I like so much about this recipe is that it’s done in a slow cooker (equipment many of us have), can be made in one’s apartment, doesn’t heat up the house while cooking but has a wonderful aroma that just makes you ready to eat!

This is a dry rub recipe and it’s adaptable. If you’d like it with more or less heat just adjust it. But it’s delicious as it is. We use pork when we make it but it would work equally well with beef.  

Enjoy and send us pics of your BBQ!

 

Summertime Slow Cooked Shredded BBQ
By Ryan Hughes

Serves 6-8

Ingredients

 For the BBQ
3 lb pork shoulder or 3 lb beef roast
2 onions, quartered
4 cloves garlic, crushed
2 tablespoon kosher salt
2 tablespoon fresh ground pepper
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 tablespoon liquid smoke flavor
2 cups water (approximate)

For Serving
1 jar of your favorite barbecue sauce
Hamburger buns
Coleslaw (optional)

Preparation

1. Prepare the dry rub: combine kosher salt, fresh ground pepper and cayenne pepper. Coat the entire meat with this rub. You can’t over coat your meat at this point so if you need more just make more rub. Set the meat aside.

2. Place the quartered onions and crushed garlic into the slow cooker. Add the meat. Slowly pour in the water until the meat is about 2/3 covered, avoid pouring it over the meat so you don’t remove the rub. Add the liquid smoke.

3. Cook on low for 9-10 hours.

4. Remove the meat from the crock. It’s going to be falling apart delicious. Use a slotted spoon to scoop out any meat that may have fallen off. If you’ve used a piece of meat with the bone in, remove the bone, it should just slip right out. Pull apart (or shred) the meat with forks. This will also be very easy and the meat will be ridiculously tender.

5. If you’d like you can add the barbecue sauce to the meat now or just let each person add their own sauce to their portion as desired. Place the shredded meat on hamburger buns. Serve with barbecue sauce and coleslaw.

Note: If you’re serving to a crowd clean the crock, discarding the liquid and onions, and return the meat to the crock set to keep warm.  It’s best to add some barbecue sauce if you’re serving it this way to help keep the meat from drying out.

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Delicious Flourless Chocolate Cake

An every-day,
Gluten-free,
Kosher for Passover,
Perfect for Easter
Delicious Flourless Chocolate Cake!  

Don’t worry that Passover’s almost over and Easter’s today. You’ll want this every day! Cakes don’t get easier or more rewarding than this one. Oh, and they don’t get more chocolaty or delicious than this either.  

Persian Flourless Pistachio Cake with Cardamom Syrup

(Made with Matzah)
by Chef Jennifer Abadi

Persian Flourless Pistachio Cake with Cardamom Syrup
(Made with Matzah)
by Chef Jennifer Abadi

(Yield: Serves 8 to 10)
Preparation Time: 1 Hour

Smoky White Turkey Chili

by Jennifer L. Heil

There was once a restaurant near my office that served burritos stuffed with a terrifically smoky white turkey chili. That restaurant is long gone, but a few years ago on a blustery winter day I got a hankering for that chili, so I decided to recreate it.

After taste testing a few batches, this recipe is what I was looking to create! In my opinion, the smoked paprika is the most important ingredient, as it infuses the whole dish with a warm smokiness that really hits the spot on a cold day. If you can wait to eat it, the chili tastes even better the next day, after it has been refrigerated overnight and the flavors have had a chance to meld.

This is an easy dish to make for informal get togethers - everyone can serve themselves and choose their own toppings. I have served it at several gatherings and each time it has been such a crowd pleaser that several people ask me for the recipe!

-Jennifer 

Chanukah Jelly Doughnuts (Soufganiot)

by Marcy Goldman

Easy to prepare in advance (the dough can be refrigerated the day before frying), these plain or jelly-filled doughnuts are a favorite treat in Israel and a sweet alternative to the traditional Chanukah latkes, or potato pancakes. I discovered soufganiot a while back when an Israeli friend, Micha Avni, commented that latkes were not the only festive Chanukah food. As a mom, a baker, and a food writer, I was thrilled to find something new to engage readers and my own three sons during the 8-day holiday. No one ever says no to doughnuts, and this two-biteful variety fits any appetite perfectly. I generally make a double batch of dough, refrigerate it, and pinch off portions as needed for fresh treats or for taking along to a Chanukah party. I usually make this dough in the bread machine (on the Dough cycle). You can sprinkle fine sugar over the doughnuts or fill them with jelly, as is more traditional. I make both filled and unfilled doughnuts.

Perfect Lasagna

By Tiffany Ludwig

There’s nothing quite like the aroma of a big, hearty lasagna cooking in the oven. When you walk into a home where there’s one cooking it immediately feels like a big warm hug. It’s a wonderful meal for this time of year, when we’re looking for satisfying comfort foods, and when leftovers are a welcome bonus.

This recipe is unique for a couple of reasons. First it’s not exclusively a meat lasagna, nor is it vegetarian. It’s the combination of meat and veggies that make this delicious and healthy – I’ve served it to many a meat lover who honestly didn’t know it was laced with vegetables. If you don’t want to include meat replace it with soy or sautéed mushrooms. It will be delicious.

And here’s the big difference, it’s made with uncooked lasagna noodles. This is a  big plus in my book. I remember growing up watching my mom make lasagna, with cooked noodles littering the kitchen while she assembled the lasagna. I have neither the patience nor space for that. This recipe comes out perfectly every time because the temperature is lower and the cooking time longer than traditional lasagna. It also is easier with much less mess.

Give it a try and let me know what you think.

Baked Butternut Squash Samosas

From Irina Katsnelson

This is an adaptation from my grandmother’s recipe which calls for pumpkin as the filling. I replaced the pumpkin with butternut squash since I found butternut squash a little bit easier to deal with – it’s not as hard as pumpkin when it comes to dicing. 

I use frozen puff pastry squares, so the night before I move them into the refrigerator to defrost. These are very easy to make, not very time consuming, and a real treat for my daughter, Stephanie, who would eat them for breakfast, lunch and dinner if allowed!

Enjoy!

Summertime Slow Cooked Shredded BBQ

By Ryan Hughes

It’s what every barbecue lover wants; a recipe you can easily make at home that will make you think you’re at a barbecue joint. Well, here it is!

It’s that time of year when we want to bask in the sun (and shade). Dip our feet in the pool, relax with a cold drink and do not too much work for dinner. Whether you’re planning a party, making dinner with leftovers or want to impress your foodie friends, this is a great recipe. What I like so much about this recipe is that it’s done in a slow cooker (equipment many of us have), can be made in one’s apartment, doesn’t heat up the house while cooking but has a wonderful aroma that just makes you ready to eat!

This is a dry rub recipe and it’s adaptable. If you’d like it with more or less heat just adjust it. But it’s delicious as it is. We use pork when we make it but it would work equally well with beef.  

Enjoy and send us pics of your BBQ!

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!