L ifestyle /C ulture
Lighter Fare for Winter Days
F O OD
KERI WHITE | JE FOOD COLUMNIST
THESE DAYS, many people
gravitate toward warming,
hearty dishes — comfort
is king as we weather these
chilly temps, not to mention
the pandemic, tumultuous
political climate, economic
downturn and general stress.

Who wouldn’t seek solace
in a bowl of macaroni and
cheese? But there is light at the end
of the tunnel, and we want to
fit into our clothes when the
time comes that we can resume
normal life.

With that cheery thought in
mind, I offer three satisfying,
healthy, but lighter meals.

They are versatile; the
poached egg “bowl” can be
served for any meal day or
night, and can incorporate a
selection of whatever vegeta-
bles you have on hand.

It is the favorite of my
college-age daughter, who
tends to appear in the kitchen
around noon after a morning
of virtual work from her third-
floor bedroom. This serves as
a healthy brunch and sustains
her through the rest of the
afternoon, when she descends
again for dinner.

Winter caprese offers a
January version of the summer
favorite. By reconstituting
sundried tomatoes and using
the heated tomato “tea” in
the dressing, the salad avoids
an overly summer vibe and
delivers a bit of warmth.

Both of these meals can be
rounded out with crusty bread
(or not) and can serve as a
light main, or a side with other
dishes for a more substantial
meal. and raw veggies. My daughter
is a fan of Brussels sprouts and
avocados, so that is the selec-
tion described here.

However, there is truly no
limit to the options — you can
use sauteed onions and white or
sweet potatoes and top it with
chopped fresh herbs or baby
lettuces; cooked greens like
spinach or kale topped with
sprouts; or cooked broccoli
topped with raw scallions, just
to name a few.

It’s a little like shakshuka,
but more veggie and less saucy
than the versions I usually
encounter. The one slight downside is
that despite this being a simple
meal, you do need to use two
pans — the skillet for the
veggies and the saucepan for
the poaching — but it is worth
the effort.

The egg:
1 egg
1 teaspoon white vinegar
½ teaspoon kosher salt
The vegetable base:
Oil for spraying the pan
Pinch of salt, sprinkle of
fresh cracked pepper
8 Brussels sprouts,
stemmed and cut in half
½ ripe avocado, cut in
chunks Sriracha or your favorite hot
sauce, to taste, if desired
Fill a 2-quart saucepan ¾
way with water; add the vinegar
and salt, and bring it to a boil.

While you wait, heat a small
skillet, coat it with a light spray
of oil and sauté the Brussels
sprouts with salt and pepper
until done, about 8 minutes.

Set aside.

POACHED EGG BOWL
When the water boils, lower
Serves 1
it to a simmer and crack an egg
into a small cup, then gently
An interesting thing about this pour it into the simmering
dish is the blending of cooked water. Remove the pan from the
16 FEBRUARY 4, 2021
heat, cover the pan and allow
the egg to cook undisturbed
for 4-5 minutes, depending on
how firm you want it.

While the egg cooks, pour
the Brussels sprouts into a
bowl, then top them with
the avocado and season as
desired. When the egg is done,
gently remove it from the water
with a slotted spoon and place
it atop the veggies. Drizzle with
Sriracha, if desired, and serve
immediately. THE BEST EGG SALAD
Serves 2
My friend Kate Markowitz
(she of the Spanish lamb stew
featured in the Nov. 29 column)
provided me with this recipe.

She was spending some time in
a friend’s vacant Florida condo
and called me from the lanai,
where she was enjoying this dish.

It was an improvised
version because the condo
was not equipped with a huge
spice selection, so she had to
make do, but now says her old
version is out the window and
she will use this recipe from
now on.

This is great served on a
bed of lightly dressed lettuce or
spooned onto rye bread.

Poached egg bowl 
Photos by Keri White
3 large eggs
3 tablespoons mayonnaise
Salt and pepper to taste
1 teaspoon yellow mustard
½ teaspoon “everything but
the bagel” seasoning
Place the eggs in a pan of
cold water (be sure they are
covered). Bring the water to
a boil and remove it from the
heat. Cover the pan and allow
the eggs to sit, undisturbed, for
12 minutes.

Remove them from the hot
water, cool completely and
chop coarsely. Place the eggs in
a bowl and add the remaining
ingredients. Mix, chill, if
desired, and enjoy.

JEWISH EXPONENT
Winter caprese salad
JEWISHEXPONENT.COM



L ifestyle /C ulture
WINTER CAPRESE SALAD
Serves 1
I am a huge fan of the summer
version of this salad — in-season,
local heirloom tomatoes are
almost an addiction.

But this time of year we can
enjoy an alternative version of
the iconic dish.

By soaking the dried
tomatoes in hot water, we
soften them up and also siphon
some of their intense flavor
out into the water, or tomato
Marder Continued from Page 14
being “extreme,” a description
that only serves to normalize
the excesses of the far right.

In reality, Ocasio-Cortez and
others have been at the forefront
of fighting white supremacy in
the U.S. and battling human
rights violations abroad.

Meanwhile, there is a
dangerous extreme in people like
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, who
recently claimed “Jewish space
lasers” caused forest fires, and in
far-right claims about “globalists”
“tea,” which adds flavor to the
dressing. Also, drizzling a warm
dressing over the salad makes
this a little more appropriate
for January.

This recipe uses the dried
tomatoes that are not packed in
oil, which saves some calories
and cost, but you can certainly
substitute those and skip the
hot water step.

If that is the case, just use
the tomato oil for the salad
in place of the olive oil and
tomato tea.

If you can’t get burrata,
or don’t like the creaminess
seeping all over the greens, try
fresh mozzarella instead.

Note: You will not need
all of the tomato tea for this
recipe. Feel free to save it and
add it to pasta sauce, soups
or other dishes that could
benefit from an additional
boost of f lavor.

and “the Rothschilds.” Those
on the far right incite violence
backed by white supremacist
groups, making Jews of so many
intersections afraid for their lives.

How can they be compared to
someone like Rep. Cori Bush,
who is standing up for racial
justice everywhere? The only
thing the left incites is calls for
justice, equality and human
rights. Like Rodney and many
people in our community, I
care about Israel and its fate.

But political participation,
whether voting in elections or
donating to campaigns, should
not be determined on a single-
issue basis. Worrying about
my student debt, the future
of education, white supremacy
and fascism keeps me up at
night. Why would I only think
about Israel policy, when my
life is dependent on the party
in power in the U.S.? Sure,
it’s fair to have disagreement
on Israeli foreign policy, but
should that be the sole factor in
choosing a political party?
Our country just experi-
enced four tumultuous years,
topped off by an insurrection.

8 sun-dried tomatoes cut in
Letters Continued from Page 15
Since, in the article Israel is also accused of being “racist,” it is unfortunate Kampeas opted to
omit from the article entirely the fact that all of Israel’s Arab citizens – be they Christian, Muslim,
Druze, Baha’i or other — are receiving the vaccine along with Israel’s Jewish citizens.

Steve Feldman | Executive director, Greater Philadelphia Chapter, Zionist Organization of America
Student Writer Should Not Be Afraid
Sophia Rodney (“I’m a Student and I’m Afraid of Where My Party Is Headed,” Jan. 28) should not
be afraid of where her party is headed. Certainly, the opinions of Democratic legislators are many
and varied, and some may seem frightening. But there is nothing more frightening than a child
(Israeli leadership) spoiled by parents (Trump and friends) who give the child everything he or
she desires.

The huge majority of Democrats, and indeed those in the White House, will never want to see
the slightest harm come to our longstanding ally in the Middle East. But this unwavering support
should never be diminished by a desire for fair treatment for other constituencies in the area, as
America seeks to reestablish its leadership and negotiating capability.

When, in my view, Israel’s leadership follows policies involving grabbing what it can that may
not belong to it at the expense of other residents in the area, I cannot sit idly by without speaking
out. I am sure some would say I am anti-Semitic and anti-Israel. Not so. But I do support policies
that are balanced and fair to all peoples in the Middle East, while at the same time guaranteeing
Israel’s right to exist and to do so in peace. l
Frank L. Friedman | Philadelphia
JEWISHEXPONENT.COM JEWISH EXPONENT
cover them with boiling water.

Allow them to sit for about 30
minutes for the tomatoes to
soften and the water to absorb
the tomato flavor.

Place the lettuce in a bowl.

Drain the tomatoes, saving
the liquid, and toss them over
the lettuce. Add a burrata ball
or fresh mozzarella.

In a small cup, mix the
vinegar, tomato tea, olive oil,
salt and pepper. Drizzle it
Place the cut tomatoes in over the salad, toss and serve
a bowl or measuring cup and immediately. l
strips ½ cup boiling water
1 small head curly
green leaf lettuce
(or your favorite
type) 1 ball burrata cheese
½ teaspoon balsamic
vinegar 2 tablespoons tomato tea
1 tablespoon olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
I believe that the president we
have now is dedicated to getting
the pandemic under control
using science, rebuilding our
shattered economy, and healing
the wounds of a deeply polar-
ized society, so unlike Rodney,
I am not worried about my
party. And given that both
parties support a Jewish state
and neither one has cut back
aid to Israel — but only one
party unequivocally denounces
far-right white supremacy —
the choice for me is clear. l
Jacob Marder, a student at
Temple University, is an intern
with Democratic Jewish Outreach
Pennsylvania, frequently
advocating for education policy,
climate justice and racial justice.

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