A New Year Menu from the Essential Puree Jewish Kitchen

My favorite cook for clean eating recipes from the Jewish kitchen is Tori Avey.

Tori has created a delicious risotto for the Rosh Hashanah meal. I adapt it for the dysphagia kitchen in the following manner.

Tori makes her risotto on the stovetop and her brisket in the oven. Both of these are long cooking methods.

For the dysphagia kitchen, I suggest shortening the cooking time with an electric pressure cooker. The flavor and the texture are perfect for puree.  The method of cooking is simplified.

Equipment: Electric Pressure Cooker

For the Risotto

Consult the link to the Tori Avey recipe and make the following adaptations.

Sauté the veggies as directed on the sear function in the pressure cooker. You may eliminate the small amount of wine from the recipe if your healthcare provider has restricted alcohol in your diet. It is there as a carrier of flavor. Add the broth. Turn on the pressure cooker for seven minutes.

For the Puree

Allow the pressure cooker to come down from pressure, or do the quick release method. Remove the lid and allow the risotto to cool.

Add a cup of the risotto to the bowl of a mini food processor. Pulse three times and then puree until smooth. Add a little broth if the risotto is too thick. Because the rice is Arborio and starchy, I do not use Instant Thickener, but this is up to the individual.

For the Herbed Brisket

Tori makes a classic brisket for Passover, but it can be used for any holiday including New Year. Her recipe is for a five to seven pound brisket. If you have a smaller family, cut the recipe in half.

Her brisket takes a long time in the oven. Since the object is to create a tender meat that is easy to puree, I follow her prep, but I cook the brisket in an electric pressure cooker. This shortens the cook time.

Set the pressure cooker to 90 minutes. Release the pressure. Check on the brisket. If it is tender and pulls apart, it is done. If it needs more time, give it another ten minutes. You may allow it to come down from pressure naturally, or you can do the quick release method.

Remove the meat, and put it on a cutting board to cool. As with Tori’s recipe, strain vegetables from the gravy. Remove fat from the gravy using a spoon or by pouring the gravy into a fat-separation measuring cup. If you wish to thicken the gravy with the veggies, add the gravy and the veggies to the pitcher of a blender, and blend until smooth. If necessary, strain to eliminate particles of veggies. Since you will be binding this puree with an instant thickener, you do not have to thicken with a starch, but you may thicken the gravy if you wish to serve it that way to the rest of the family.

For Service

If you are making this meal for a family in addition to the loved one with the swallowing disorder, the family will also enjoy the meal. Simply separate the number of servings you are going to puree, and store for the person with swallowing disorder. Place the rest of the meal on a platter and serve to the family.

The presentation is one dish with the pureed brisket and gravy, and one dish with the pureed risotto. In a separate post on this blog, I include the recipe for tsimmis, the simmered veggies.

For the Puree

The secret to the gravy is to puree the veggies in the gravy after you strain out the excess fat. You do not have to thicken the gravy with starch because you are using it for the puree.

When the brisket is cool and you have made the gravy, add six ounces of the shredded brisket to the bowl of the mini food processor. Add a quarter cup of gravy and pulse ten times to break down the meat. Add another quarter cup of gravy and pulse five times to incorporate, then puree until smooth. Add a pump or a scoop of instant thickener to bind the puree.

Swirl Away!

Featured photo credit:  Counselling via Pixabay, cc