Sunday, August 26, 2007

moses in a what?!

these aren't exactly hi-brow menu items but they do fit the bill when you have to feed finicky youngsters or want something different for a (kids' birthday) party. being in this predicament not too long ago, i resorted to this always successful stand-by. interestingly, i haven't seen too many adults turn them down, either ;)

but before you stop reading, these aren't JUST for the young'uns .... cut into smaller bite-size pieces, they can make great snacks at a get-together, especially when served with all kinds of interesting sauces and chutneys. served in their full size, they can form part of a simple everyday meal.

taking the same idea from the popular party snacks, chazzer (oink oinks) "p*gs in a blanket", this is the kosher-ized version of it. since calling them pigs just wouldn't go over too well at any (observant) jewish function, someone renamed them as "moshé b'teyváh" which, translated from hebrew, means "moses in a crib (ark)". whatever you want to call them, people eat these up like no tomorrow!

while traditionally made with meat, like sausages or hotdogs, they can also be made completely vegan or vegetarian, depending on the ingredients you choose to use. if you can get hold of a parve (non-animal product) puff pastry and use tofu dogs, the pastries can be sealed and coated with water and a bit of cornstarch instead of the egg. otherwise, use a butter based puff pastry and the egg wash to make a vegetarian version. if using meat, and you follow kashrut, then i don't really have to tell you what to do :)


moshé b'teyváh — משה בתיבה
hotdogs in puff pastry ( נקנקיות בבצק עלים)

serve these alongside some un-fried fries and coleslaw, and you'll feel a bit less guilty enjoying something so good. these easy-to-make pastry-covered "dogs" are simple to throw together and look pretty good too, once all is said and done. all you need to do is roll, wrap & bake!

ingredients:

1/2 to 1 lb puff pastry dough* (parve or regular)
6 to 12 hotdogs or sausages (meat or tofu type)

dijon or regular mustard, optional

1 egg yolk + 2 tsp water (or cornstarch and water)
sesame seeds

*use 1/2 lb for every 6 hotdogs

method:

cut the pastry into two equal sections if using 1 lb amount.


roll the pastry out to a 15" x "10 rectangle (approximately) with enough flour to prevent sticking.

cut the pastry down the center lengthwise.

take one piece of the pastry and fold it up billfold-style to gauge 3 equal sections (i.e fold over left side and then right side on top of that). equalize it so that all the edges meet.

unfold the right side and cut it.

open the remaining piece and cut it right down the center.

stack the pieces. lightly dust with flour in between each one to prevent sticking.

beat the egg yolk with the water or make cornstarch mixture and set aside. get the mustard ready; the kind in a squeeze bottle is easiest. open up and separate the hotdogs or sausages you are using.

have a plate nearby and prepare your baking pan (line it with foil and lightly grease it all over).

place a piece of the pastry on the plate and brush the top and bottom of one side with the egg wash. squeeze out a line of mustard* or spoon it on in the center of the pastry. you don't need a lot and do not go to the ends, leave about a 1/2 inch on either side.

*for adults, you can replace the mustard with a spice mix (or even leave it out), like a hot cajun one. just sprinkle it all over the pastry after coating it with the egg or cornstarch mix and roll it up.

place the hotdog or tofu dog on top of the mustard and roll up the pastry.

place them on another plate for holding if not using right away, smooth side down, or directly on the baking sheet with the overlapping edges facing the bottom. you can make them beforehand, cover and refrigerate until baking. if doing so, flour the bottom of the plate so they don't stick when it comes around to removing them.

otherwise, heat the oven to 400 F.

with the rest of the egg wash, paint the pastry well and coat with sesame seeds.

bake the pastries for about 25 minutes or until done (golden brown).

serving with more mustard and ketchup or any kind of interesting condiment like a sweet and sour sauce or spicy chutney. (these also reheat well, wrapped in foil @ 300 F.)

hot diggity-dog :)

enjoy!

13 comments:

ByTheBay said...

Those look mouthwateringly delicious! But I gotta say, growing up, we ALWAYS called them Pigs in a Blanket. I'm sure it was tongue-in-cheek, since I've never eaten these anywhere BUT at a Jewish simcha therefore there clearly wasn't any pork around... But that's what we called them anyhow. One of my favorite Bar Mitzvah foods. I love the Moshe in a Crib name, though - Far more innovative and ... well, Jewish.

burekaboy — said...

hi BTB - thanks :) they ARE as good as they look! it's too bad you can't eat them {anymore} bec of the gluten -- lol, or maybe not, they aren't exactly lo cal!

as for the name, i actually think the "moshe b'teva" was an israeli thing but who knows. [i guess i meant the name probably didn't go over too well in the orthodox/frum circles]. whatever they're called, they are definitely bigtime simcha food.

Rosa's Yummy Yums said...

Yummy, you got me salivating!!! Yes, you are right, this kinda stuff isn't only for the youngsters, but also for all the hungry food-obsessed adults like us!
A great idea. You could also wrap those Frankfurters in bread dough...

burekaboy — said...

rosa - LOL, there never seems to be any leftovers either. have tried it with bread dough also; there are actually quite a few different doughs people use for these. the puff pastry one is easiest i find, especially since i didn't have to make it ;)

Kumudha said...

great pictures!

Thanks for letting vegans know that it can be prepared with only plant-based products!

Anonymous said...

I think I will try these this weekend. I thought puff pastry was phyllo dough, but I can see from your pictures it is not the same. Gotta go look at the coleslaw and fries to complete the meal.

Anonymous said...

Are phyllo and puff pastry the same? They look scrumptious!

burekaboy — said...

kumudha - welcome & thanks for the compliments and comment.

i try to include vegan and/or vegetarian options wherever possible (most of my food is one of the two but sometimes i include meats).

we have a food status called "parve" in judaism which means all that (food) which is neither dairy nor meat -- we include eggs in this category though. basically, it means mostly safe for vegans and vegetarians.

lorrie - no, no, puff pastry and phyllo are two very different things. phyllo is paper thin sheets of dough (like those for bakhlawa pastries) and puff pastry is made with either pure butter or shortening and folded over and over again in the process so that, once baked, it rises and makes a flaky finished crust. it's the same kind of pastry used for mille feuilles (napoleans) and other french pastries. you can find both very easily in grocery stores in the frozen sections (or from good bakeries that sell their doughs). only use the puff pastry kind for this recipe though.

i'm sure the little one will love these :)) p.s. i'd make 12 and not 6 as they WILL disappear! LOL.

burekaboy — said...

lorrie, i'll email you a fries recipe with no egg white if you want.

Beenzzz said...

I want about 20 of these. They look delicious!

burekaboy — said...

beenzzz - i could eat 20 :)

Chanita Harel חני הראל said...

איזה יופי ! זה מאפה מאוד פופולרי כאן בישראל, כבר הרבה הרבה שנים. אפשר אחד? נשאר משהו ? אתה מקפיא ואת מה שנשאר? תודה רבה
:-)

burekaboy — said...

חנית - אני זוכר לאכול אותם כשגרתי בארץ - אכלנו אותם בתחנה המרכזית בתל אביב או בחיפה עם הרבה גזוז

מכין אותם אצלי רק לפעמים כי אני יכול לאכול המון

ההה לא היה כלום להקפיא