Tag: rosh hashanah

Apple Cider Donuts Filled With Apple Filling and Apple Glaze

As fall approaches apple cider donuts (or is it doughnut) seem to be all the rage (and I personally believe apple always beats pumpkin spice) and they make a great Rosh Hashana dessert. One of the major complaints I have about your average apple cider donut is they don’t really taste like apples. I wanted to find a way to infuse as much apple flavor into the recipe.  I decided to go with an apple glazed apple filled yeast donut made with apple cider instead of the more traditional cake donut usually used for apple cider donuts.

Don’t forget to check out some of our  other Rosh Hashanah recipes:

Spaghetti Squash Apple Date Kugel

Slow Braised Brisket With Apples For Rosh Hashanah

Braised Short Ribs with Apples and Pomegranate Honey Glaze

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Apple Cider Doughnuts
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Apple Glazed and Apple Filled Apple Cider Donuts
Prep Time
30 mins
Cook Time
30 mins
Rise Times
4 hrs
 

A fall classic that is perfect for Rosh Hashanah

Course: Dessert, Snack
Cuisine: American, Fall, Holiday, Jewish, Kosher, Rosh Hashanah
Keyword: Apple, Apple Cider, Apple Cider Donut, Apple Cider Doughnut, Donut, Doughnut, Fall, Holiday, kosher, rosh hashanah
Servings: 12 Donuts
Author: Daniel Peikes
Ingredients
Apple Filling
  • 2.5 Cups Apple Cider Divided
  • 1/2 Cup Maple Syrup
  • 2 Tbsp Cornstarch
  • 6 Large Apples Peeled, cored, and diced small
  • 2 Cups Apple Sauce
  • 1/2 Cup Apple Butter
  • 1/2 Cup Dark Brown Sugar
  • 1 Tsp Nutmeg
  • 1 Tsp Cinnamon
  • 1 Pinch Kosher Salt
Apple Glaze
  • 8 Cups Apple Cider
  • 4 Cups Powdered Sugar
  • 1/4 Cup Maple Syrup
  • 1 Tsp Cinnamon
  • 1 Tsp Nutmeg
  • 1/4 Cup Apple Butter
Apple Cider Donuts
  • 1-1/2 Cups Apple Cider Divided
  • 1 Envelope Instant Yeast
  • 1/4 Cup Shortening Melted and cooled
  • 2 Large Eggs
  • 1/4 Cup Brown Sugar
  • 1 tbsp Vanilla
  • 1 tsp Cinnamon
  • 1 tsp Nutmeg
  • 1 Pinch Kosher Salt
  • 24 Ounces All Purpose Flour About 5 cups
  • Vegetable or Canola Oil for Frying
  • Apple Glaze See recipe above
  • Apple Filling See recipe above
Instructions
Apple Cider Donuts

  1. Pour 1/2 a cup of apple cider into a microwave bowl and heat in the microwave to about 100°F. Alternatively you could do this in a small pot on the stove. Add in the packet of yeast, stir to combine, and set aside.

  2. In a large bowl combine the flour, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg and stir to combine.

  3. In the bowl of your mixer, add the 2 eggs, brown sugar, vanilla, the remaining 1 cup of apple cider and melted shortening and beat with the whisk attachment until lighter in color and volume doubles. Then slowly add the yeast and apple cider mixture.

  4. Switch to the paddle attachment on your mixer and add a ⅓ of the dry ingredients. Mix until fully incorporated, then slowly add in the remaining dry ingredients until a dough forms. If the there are still dry pockets of flour add a little bit more apple cider.

  5. Cover and allow to rise at room temperature until doubled in size.

  6. Roll the dough into pieces slightly larger than a golf ball. You should get about 12 pieces. Place on parchment lined baking sheet dusted with flour and allow to rise until doubled in size.

  7. Place 3 inches of oil in your Dutch oven or pot, place over medium heat, and bring up to 350°F

  8. Fry your donuts until golden brown, about 3 minutes on each side. Allow to cool.

  9. Using a large piping bag with a wide filling nozzle fill with the apple filling (see recipe below). Sometime it help to use the handle of a large wooden mixing spoon to create a pocket first.

  10. Dip the top of each donut in to the apple glaze (see recipe below) and top with a little more of the apple filling.

Apple Filling/Topping

  1. Pour two cups of the apple cider in a large sauce pot, reserving a 1/2 cup for later use.

  2. Add the apples, apple sauce, apple butter, brown sugar, maple syrup, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg to the pot and place on the stove over medium heat. Stir to combine.

  3. Continue stirring the apple mixture and once it begins to thicken, in a bowl combine the remaining 1/2 cup of apple cider and corn starch and stir to create a slurry. Add the slurry to the apple mixture to and continue to cook until until the filling starts to gel.

  4. Allow the filling to cool and and use to fill and top your donuts.

Apple Glaze

  1. Combine 8 cups apple cider, 4 cups powdered sugar, 1/4 cup maple syrup, 1 tablespoon of nutmeg and 1 tablespoon of cinnamon in a medium sauce pan. Place over medium heat and reduce by ¾.

  2. Set the glaze aside to cool to room temperature and stir in the the apple butter. Alternatively make this in advance and store in the fridge and bring back to room temperature before using.

Spaghetti Squash Apple Date Kugel

Happy New Year 5783! Rosh Hashanah is HERE, ya’ll!

This recipe, Spaghetti Squash Apple Date Kugel is such a great side dish to serve for your yom tov table. It combines apples of course to symbolize the Jewish New Year, dipping apples into honey as part of the Rosh Hashanah seder meal. “T’marim”, is the Hebrew word for dates, which uses the root word “tam” meaning “to end” – hoping that our enemies will “end” or be eliminated.  And dates are also one of the Seven Species of Israel.

I love using spaghetti squash as the base of this kugel/pudding because not only does it mimic noodles, but it’s a great low-carb and gluten-free option and so much easier than scrubbing, peeling and shredded a whole bunch of potatoes (or use your food processor for that). It’s easy to roast in the oven OR you can pop it in the microwave for 6-7 minutes for a quicker option. Even though I added the apples and dates, it’s a relatively small amount so it’s still lower in carbs, but feel free to omit the dates if you’re on keto or sub the apples for jicama (though apples do have a good amount of fiber, so a little apple here and there is good for you). 🙂

So there you have it! Another kugel recipe to add to your table – whether for Rosh Hashanah or on a fall Shabbat afternoon lunch.

Wishing you all a Kesiva V’Chasima Tova – Shana Tovah! See ya’ll next year!

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Spaghetti Squash Apple Date Kugel
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: Holiday
Keyword: rosh hashanah
Author: Rachel Katzman
Ingredients
  • 1 Spaghetti Squash (halved and seeds removed)
  • 1/3 cup Sugar, or sugar substitute
  • 1 Large Apple, diced Or 2 small apples
  • 3 Eggs (large)
  • 2 tsp Cinnamon
  • 1/4 Dates, chopped
  • 1/2 tsp Allspice, or apple pie spice
Instructions

  1. Pre-heat oven to 400F

  2. Cut the squash in half and scoop out the seeds

  3. Roast for 40 minutes, let cool and scoop out the squash into a large bowl

  4. Lower oven to 375F

  5. Mix in the eggs, sugar, diced apples, dates and spices

  6. Spray an 8x8 baking dish with non-stick spray

  7. Pour into baking dish and bake for 40-45 min until set and golden brown

  8. Serve at any temp - YUM!

Slow Braised Brisket With Apples For Rosh Hashanah

BrisketSo I may be known for my smoked brisket but sometimes you need something a little more traditional. When it comes to Rosh Hashanah you want something like your Bubby used to make. My Bubby probably thinks a smoker is someone who buys Lucky Strikes, not a cooking apparatus.

This recipe is super simple. If you are hosting a Rosh Hashanah meal for the first time, it is the brisket recipe for you. By going with a slow braise you don’t need to baby the brisket.  You can just pop it in the oven, set a timer, and go work on your tzimmus. You can even put the roast in the oven late at night and let it cook overnight. This recipe will work well with any tougher roast. So if you happen to have a chuck roast or a top of the rib in the freezer, feel free to use that instead of the brisket.

I call for a cook time of four hours, but this recipe should be cooked to tenderness not time. If you like a little more chew in your meat, cook it less. If you like your roast fork tender, cook it longer.

Symbolism at Supper

Apples and leeks are foods traditionally eaten on Rosh Hashanah and are a great compliment to a traditional braised brisket. Jews eat apples with honey as a sign of a sweet new year and leeks are eaten as a symbol that we should be able to destroy our enemies as the word for leek in Hebrew is similar to the word for destroy.

Between the wine and the apples, this recipe is fairly sweet, as opposed to many other traditional brisket recipes that call for things like tomato paste, carrots, and potatoes. I also tried to avoid processed ingredients (unless you count wine as a processed ingredient), so put away the onion soup mix and the duck sauce.

Don’t forget the check out some of our other Rosh Hashanah recipes:

Braised Short Ribs with Apples and Pomegranate Honey Glaze

Delicata Squash Stuffed With Apples Dates and Leeks

Gluten-Free Honey Muffins & Ginger Maple Apple Chip

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Brisket
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Slow Braised Brisket with Apples
Prep Time
5 mins
Cook Time
4 hrs
 

A classic brisket recipe with addition of apples and leeks that is great for the Rosh Hashana season.

Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Holiday, Jewish, Kosher
Keyword: brisket
Servings: 5 Servings
Author: Daniel Peikes
Ingredients
  • 5 lb First Cut Brisket
  • 4 Large Apples Peeled, cored, and sliced in to to ¼" slices
  • 2 Leeks (or Onions) Greens removed, sliced in to ½" rounds, and cleaned thoroughly.
  • 4 Cups Sweet White Wine Use something you would drink. Do NOT use cooking wine.
  • Salt and Pepper To taste
Instructions

  1. Season your brisket with salt and pepper on all sides to taste and preheat your oven to 250°F.

  2. Add a layer of apples and leeks to the bottom of your roasting pan.

  3. Add your brisket to the pan and cover with another layer of apples and leeks

  4. Slowly add wine until the liquid comes 3/4 the way up the brisket. You may not need all of the wine.

  5. Cover the pan tightly with foil and place in the oven. Cook for two hours, then carefully flip the brisket, recover with foil, and cook for another two hours or until desired tenderness is reached.

  6. Allow to cool for 15 minutes and slice in to ¼ inch slices and serve.

 

 

Leek Pancakes with Spicy Honey Dipping Sauce

Who can believe that Rosh Hashanah is just 1 week away??!! This year could not have gone any faster, which I guess is a good thing, right? Oy vey.

My husband and I have a yearly tradition to go to the Peikes’ for first night of yom tov. And if you caught his Braised Short Ribs post, you’ll notice that this year is an Asian-themed menu! Sort of a “Chinese New Year”-style. For Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year. Ah, see what we did there? 🙂  Okay, well technically, the Chinese New Year is in Feb 2021, the year of the Ox, but who knows, maybe Daniel will use that as inspo and make a braised oxtail recipe? #challenge

And so, it’s my turn now to present you with my easy-peasy Leek Pancakes with Spicy Honey Dipping Sauce!

Symbolic Foods

Scallion Pancakes are the more traditional version of this dish, but in honor of the Jewish New Year, leeks carry major symbolism. Why are they symbolic on our Rosh Hashanah seder table you ask? Well, the ancient Aramaic word for leeks is “karsi” sounds like the word “yikarsu” which means to “destroy” or “cut”. It’s pretty simple – in the prayer we say right after eating leeks, we ask G-D for protection against our enemies, that they should be “cut off” in the upcoming year. Pretty deep stuff for a humble allium.

But by all means, you can make this dish on Rosh Hashanah, or all year round, either with leeks or scallions. I mean, they’re basically cousins, so why not?

Scallion Pancakes, also known as “Cong You Bing“, is a staple in Chinese cuisine, more so in the appetizer category. Specifically, a savory, unleavened flatbread or pancake with sliced scallions/green onions (or in our case, sliced leeks) and sesame oil folded in. Traditionally, it’s made using a dough instead of a batter and pan-fried to give the pancake crispy edges and a soft chewy bite.

A twist on a classic

Well, I’m going outside of tradition just a tad with my own spin on this Leek Pancake to make it as easy-as-possible. How did I do that? Well, we’re making pancakes after all, so I went with a batter instead of a dough. And hey, it’s okay to experiment with these recipes! I’m a big believer in playing with your food and coming up with interesting alternatives. So I say go for it!

I also went gluten-free and low carb with this too, but feel free to use all-purpose flour instead, you might just end up with a crispier pancake than mine, but it’s still tasty. I was really going for a super-simple recipe for these pancakes – no intimidating dough to make here.

And finally, don’t forget the spicy dipping sauce – with HONEY, perfect for Rosh Hashanah, for instilling a sweet new year. The sauce brings the sweet, tangy and spicy component to compliment the pancake.

From us here at Meat Your Vegetables, wishing you a Kesiva V’chasima Tova – here’s to a sweet, happy, healthy and SAFE New Year, 5781!!

 

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Leek Pancakes with Spicy Honey Dipping Sauce
Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
40 mins
 
Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: Chinese
Servings: 6 medium-sized pancakes
Author: Rachel Katzman
Ingredients
Scallion Pancakes
  • 1 Egg
  • 1 tsp. Salt
  • 1 tsp. Sugar, or sugar substitute
  • 1 Leek, thoroughly cleaned and sliced into half-moon shape, or you use scallions/green onions Leeks are very sandy and dirty, so my trick is to cut off the dark green leafy end and cut off the root, then slice down the middle and into half-moon shapes. Fill a large bowl with water and soak the leeks for a few minutes. Using your hands to try and remove the grit. Then scoop the cleaned leeks into a colander to drain.
  • 1 1/2 cups water
  • 1 1/2 cups Almond Flour
  • 1 tbsp. Sesame oil
Spicy Honey Dipping Sauce
  • 3 tbsp. Unseasoned rice wine vinegar
  • 2 tbsp. Coconut Aminos Or use soy sauce or Tamari
  • 1 tsp. Sambal Oelek Asian chili sauce
  • 1/4 tsp. Crushed red pepper flakes Optional, in case you want more of a punch of heat
  • 1 tbsp. Honey You can use raw honey if you like, just make sure you dissolve it thoroughly into the sauce
Instructions

  1. To make the pancakes, in a bowl, whisk the egg, salt, sugar, leeks (or scallions) and almond flour

  2. Slowly add in water in 3 batches and keep whisking the batter, the add sesame oil

  3. Let the batter rest for 5-10 min until thick

  4. While the batter is resting, make the spicy honey dipping sauce

  5. Whisk vinegar, coconut aminos, sambal, honey and red pepper flakes in a small bowl. Taste and adjust flavors if needed

  6. Heat a non-stick saute pan over medium heat and drizzle a teaspoon of oil (I like to use avocado oil because it has a high heat point and is neutral-tasting, but you can use sesame oil too)

  7. Add 1/4 cup of the batter to the pan so you get a evenly round pancake shape

  8. Cook until you see bubbles forming on the edge, about 3 minutes per side

  9. Flip carefully with a spatula and cook on the other side for another 2-3 minutes until golden brown, but not burnt

  10. Repeat with the rest of the batter

  11. Once the pancakes are cooled, cut half and then into wedges, or cut into whatever shape you like to dip into that spicy dipping sauce!

  12. Serve the pancakes with the sauce and garnish with more sliced leeks or scallions and sesame seeds

 

Braised Short Ribs with Apples and Pomegranate Honey Glaze

Short RibsI love short ribs. I particularly like sticky Asian style short ribs,  although they can be a bit pricey.  As we are going with an Asian theme this year for our first night of  Rosh Hashanah (AKA Jewish New Year) menu, I am springing for the short ribs.  First night of Rosh Hashana is the one time a year I really go all out and pick up a nicer piece of meat.

This recipe is inspired by fusing this dish with the some classic Rosh Hashana flavors.  I chose apples, honey, and pomegranate as they provide sweetness, a central theme for Rosh Hashana.  The pomegranate lends some sweetness along with some tartness to help balance it out. It also provides a nice red color to the glaze.

This recipe feeds 2 people but can easily scaled up, as long as you have a pot large enough.

ThermoPro TR15H Digital Instant Read Meat ThermoPro TP15HThermometer Review*

I cooked the ribs to an internal temperature of about 205°F. 205°F is a magic number for tender beef that you don’t want to completely fall apart.  I checked the temperature with the new ThermoPro TR15H Digital Instant Read Meat Thermometer available on Amazon for about $11.65 after coupon.  The coupon is available right on the listing, all you need to do is check the box.  The probe is nice and long and the body of the thermometer has a convenient loop for hanging as a well as a magnet for sticking on your fridge.  The long probe along with the fact that it has a back light and temperature lock functionality make it great for sticking in a dark oven without burning your your face trying to read it. 

ThermoPro TP15H BacklightI did a quick calibration test with some ice water and it read right at 34°F.  When I ran the ice water calibration test I compared it to my Classic Super-Fast Thermapen which I love, but is significantly more expensive.  The Thermapen settled on temperature a few seconds faster than the ThermoPro TR15H.  For less than a quarter of the price the TR15H is a great budget option. 

 

I do prefer a  thermometer with a probe that folds in to the handle. ThermoPro does have several other models that have that feature.  We reviewed one a few years ago (along with a great smoked chicken recipe), check it out here: Apple Wood Smoked Chicken Recipe and ThermoPro Thermometer Review.  Another cool feature the TR15H has is a calibration mode.  I haven’t had a chance to test that out yet as it seems pretty accurate out of the box.

Don’t forget to check out some of our other Rosh Hashana recipes:

Delicata Squash Stuffed With Apples Dates and Leeks and Rosh Hashanah Menu

First Night of Rosh Hashanah 5779 Menu Retrospective and Zucchini Leek Soup Recipe

Gluten-Free Honey Muffins & Ginger Maple Apple Chips For Rosh Hashanah

Recipe: Braised Short Ribs with Apples and A Pomegranate Honey Glaze

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Short Ribs
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Braised Short Ribs with Apples and a Pomegranate Honey Glaze
Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
2 hrs
 

Asian style braised short ribs fused with Rosh Hashanah flavors of apple, honey, and pomegranate. A sweet dish for your New Years table.

Course: Main Course, Meat
Cuisine: Asian, BBQ, Holiday, Jewish
Keyword: Braised Short Ribs, Ribs
Servings: 2 Servings
Author: Daniel Peikes
Ingredients
  • 2 lbs Flanken Cut Short Ribs Flanken cut means cut in strips across the bones
  • 2 tbsp Vegetable Oil
  • Salt and Pepper To taste
  • 3 Apples Peeled, cored, and diced
  • 2 Onions Sliced
  • 6 Cloves Garlic Roughly chopped
  • 2 Cups Beef Stock Homemade would be best, but boxed will do in a pinch
  • 1 Cup Pomegranate Juice
  • 1/2 Cup Honey
Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 250°F. Lightly coat the ribs with oil and season with salt and pepper.

  2. Place a heavy pot or dutch oven over high heat. Sear the ribs on each side until browned.

  3. Remove the ribs and reduce the heat to low. Add the onions and apples and saute until they begin to brown.

  4. Remove the pot from the heat, return the ribs, and add enough beef stock to make sure the ribs are submerged about half way.

  5. Put the cover on the pot and move it to the oven. Cook until the ribs are tender but not mushy, about 2 hours.

  6. While the ribs are coking add the pomegranate juice and the honey to a small sauce pot and cook over high heat stirring regularly until the mixture is reduced to a syrup.

  7. Once the ribs are tender, remove them from the pot from the oven and raise the oven temperature to 400°F. Place the ribs on a rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Lightly coat the ribs on both sides with the pomegranate syrup. Place the ribs back in the oven for just a few minutes to set the glaze, being careful not to let it burn.

  8. Put the pot with the beef stock, apples, and onions back on the stove over high heat and reduce until it thickens into a sauce. Cut the ribs between the bones, plate on top of the sauce and serve.

*ThemoPro provided the new thermometer for me to review, but did not sponsor this post.  In the past they have provided free products for me to review as well as sponsoring the thermometers for the 3rd Chicago Kosher BBQ Competition. 

 

Delicata Squash Stuffed With Apples Dates and Leeks and Rosh Hashanah Menu

Stuffed Delicata Squash

A Hearty Recipe for A Successful New Year

The Jewish holiday of Rosh Hashanah (AKA New Year’s) is just around the corner.  On Rosh Hashanah many Jews have the custom to eat traditional symbolic foods to promote different types of success in the coming year. Apples, leeks, dates, and gourds are all part of that tradition. Many people just put these foods on a plate and serve them as is but I wanted to come up with an easy side dish using them.

Rosh Hashanah also signifies the beginning of autumn. One of my favorite things about autumn is the availability of winter squash. The firm flesh of a winter squash makes for a great hearty side dish, and the yellow and orange colors match the colors of the changing leaves. one of my favorite parts of the season.  This recipe calls for delicata squash (squash is in the extended gourd family) as they are all the rage these days and their skin is edible. (I personally believe they are just a gateway drug to pumpkin spice.) You could use acorn or butternut squash if you cannot find  delicata and you don’t mind scooping the flesh from the skin at the table. The recipe also calls for some “warm” spices which are great as the temperature begins to dip this time of year.

Rosh Hashanah Menu

For the first night of Rosh Hashanah we usually invite Rachel and her husband Elliott along with a few other friends. I tend to go all out and break out some higher end proteins. I happen to have a large rib-eye and a couple of ducks in freezer, so instead of spending more money I decided to use those.

My full menu includes:

Cinnamon Sugar Challah (Made by my lovely wife Ronit)

Potato Leek Soup

Teriyaki Salmon (At my wife’s request)

Smashed Potatoes

Pomegranate Glazed Roast Duck

Sous Vide Rib-eye Roast

Roasted Delicata Squash Stuffed with Apples, Dates, and Leeks

Spinach Mango Salad with Beet Chips and A Pomegranate Vinaigrette

Apple Turnovers

As we head in to a new year I want to take this opportunity to thank all of you guys for reading our work. I feel like we have grown significantly in the past year and hope you all will continue on this journey with us in the coming year. We are working on some great things, so stay tuned. I have one favor to ask all of you, we can only be successful with your help. If you could all share this post with your friends across social media it would mean the world to us. From our families to yours, thank you, Shanah Tovah, and have a happy sweet new year.

Don’t forget check out Rachel’s newest Rosh Hashanah recipe: Tomato Pomegranate Salad

Recipe: Delicata Squash Stuffed with Apples, Dates, and Leeks

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Stuffed Delicata Squash
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Delicata Squash Stuffed With Apples Dates and Leeks
Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
1 hr 30 mins
 

This is a great dish as the weather begins cool off. It uses some great fall flavors of warm spices, along with apples and winter squash.

Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Delicata, Delicata Squash, Fall, rosh hashanah, Side Dish, Squash
Servings: 4
Author: Daniel Peikes
Ingredients
  • 2 Delicata Squashes Sliced in half the long way and seeds removed
  • 4 Apples Peeled, cored, and diced
  • 2 Leeks (Just the while part) Sliced in to 1/2" rounds and cleaned
  • 12 Dates Pitted and roughly chopped
  • 3 tbsp Oil for sauteing
  • 3 tbsp Ginger Ground
  • 3 tbsp Cinnamon
  • 3 tbsp Nutmeg Freshly ground
  • Salt and Pepper To taste
Instructions

  1. Sprinkle each of the squashes with a tablespoon each of the ginger, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Then season with salt and pepper to taste. Reassemble the 2 halves of two squashes (sans seeds) and wrap each one tightly in aluminum foil. Place on a foil lined sheet pan and roast at 350°F until it a knife pierces it easily, about 90 minutes.

  2. While the squash roasts, add the oil to the skillet and place over medium heat. Add the leeks to the pan and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently until the leeks just begin to brown, then add the apples and dates as well as the remaining cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg. Continue to cook and stir until the apples are a caramel brown and remove from the heat.

  3. Cut each squash in half the short way. You should have 8 shorter pieces when you are done. Fill each squash piece with the apple, leek, and date mixture and serve.

Don’t forget to check out some of our other Rosh Hashanah recipes:

Beef Bacon Wrapped Mergez Stuffed Date

Zucchini Leek Soup

Gluten-Free Honey Muffins

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Tomato Pomegranate Salad

The Jewish New Year

I can’t believe we’re here. Rosh Hashanah, is just ONE WEEK AWAY! Surely that means your ovens are fired up, tablecloths are freshly laundered and you’re ready to cook up a storm for the Jewish New Year. Oh, and don’t call me Shirley. 🙂

As the tradition goes on Rosh Hashanah to eat a “new fruit”, pomegranates are a common one at many holiday tables. So why not incorporate this tart, sweet fruit into this light and refreshing tomato salad with fresh herbs? It’s the perfect counterpart for some end-of-summer-ripe tomatoes and freshly picked herbs.

A little Inspiration First…

I didn’t necessarily just dream up this recipe in the middle of the night.  I first got the inspiration from flipping through Yotam Ottolenghi’s cookbook Plenty More: Vibrant Vegetable Cooking from London’s Ottolenghi and WOW!  My mouth waters instantly as I read through all of the glorious ways he prepares vegetables. Roasted, steamed, raw, grilled, braised. If you think veggies are only good for salads, well think again!

One of the first recipes in his cookbook is a tomato pomegranate salad with fresh oregano, pomegranate molasses and a kitchen-sink-load of spices. Okay, so no molasses on-hand.  But not to fret! We have some kosher Trader Joe’s pomegranate vinegar to do the trick! All I did for this salad dressing was mix that with some olive oil, salt, and pepper (sumac would be good in this too, with that bright, lemony flavor to accentuate the flavors). And that’s it!  Just let the fresh ingredients do the talking.

Final touches

Another new spin on this recipe? Adding fresh mint and basil! Mostly because I already had some growing on my porch but because I love these 2 herbs mixed together. And tomato and basil?  Well that’s just a match made in heaven.

This recipe also calls for bell peppers, but I thought “oh, the Thai chilies from my porch will be a great addition!”

Um, no.

I LOVE spicy food, but these were STRONG and I was breathing fire in no time. So too potent for this raw salad.  Bottom line, I highly recommend to use bell peppers instead or use a bit more heat like a serrano pepper or even a jalapeno.

So there you have it, dear readers. A perfect start to your Rosh Hashanah seder meal to bring in the new fruits.  And from your team here at Meat Your Vegetables, we want to wish you a K’siva V’Chasima Tova – may you be written and inscribed for a happy and healthy sweet new year! Chag Sameach!

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Tomato Pomegranate Salad
Prep Time
20 mins
 
Course: Salad
Servings: 4 people
Author: Rachel Katzman
Ingredients
  • 3 Tomatoes, chopped I used a variety of fresh heirloom tomatoes - yellow, red and a mix of colors, but use whatever looks fresh at the market
  • 1 1/4 cup Pomegranate arils A great trick to get the arils out of the pomegranate: Fill a large bowl with water and place in your sink. Cut the pomegranate in half and in the bowl, under water, use your hands to pop out the seeds/arils. The white pith will float to the top and you'll have the seeds in the bottom of the bowl!
  • 1 Bell pepper, diced Or use a Serrano or Jalapeno pepper (ribs and seeds removed - or keep 'em in for extra heat!)
  • 1 Handful Basil - torn, or chopped
  • 1 Handful Mint - torn, or chopped
  • 1 Drizzle Pomegranate Vinegar If you can't find this at Trader Joe's or anywhere, just substitute apple cider and add a splash of lemon juice
  • 1 Drizzle Extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/4 tsp Salt
  • 1/4 tsp Freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 Squeeze Fresh Lemon
Instructions

  1. Add the tomatoes, pomegranate, pepper, mint and basil into a big bowl.

  2. Drizzle the vinegar and oil and sprinkle the salt and pepper

  3. Mix gently so you don't bruise the herbs too much. Garnish with extra herbs and a squeeze of lemon juice, if you prefer

First Night of Rosh Hashanah 5779 Menu Retrospective and Zucchini Leek Soup Recipe

Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year was last week.  The the first night I usually go all out and make a huge meal and invite a ton of guests.  There are many traditional food that are often eaten at this meal, each with a symbolic meaning to ensure a good new year.  Often these foods are eaten on their own but I prefer to incorporate them into composed dishes. Some of these foods include:

  • Apples dipped in honey for a sweet year
  • Pomegranates so our merits increase, as the seeds of the pomegranate
  • Carrots, beans, or fenugreek so that we should increase our merits
  • Beets that our adversaries should be removed
  • Fish that we should be fruitful and multiply
  • Fish or Lamb Head so we should get ahead in life (or literally that we should be as a head and not a tail)
  • Dates that our enemies be consumed
  • Leeks or cabbage that our enemies be decimated
  • Gourds so that our merits be proclaimed to G-d

Rosh Hashanah Rosh Hashanah Zucchini SoupMenu

Usually on Rosh Hashanah I make a centerpiece dish like beef short rib or rack of lamb, but I went little easy on myself this year as I have been so busy this summer and just went with a french roast.  Below is my menu, with a few less dishes than usual:

Fish Course: Pomegranate Glazed Salmon with Roasted Beet Slaw (and Fish Head)

Soup Course: Zucchini Leek Soup (Recipe Below)

Meat: Sous Vide and Smoked French Roast With Apple and Fig BBQ Sauce

Chicken: Apple Wood Smoked Chicken

Sides: Roasted Butternut Squash, Date Salad with Honey Lime Dressing, (brought by Rachel)

Beef Bacon Wrapped Dates

Apple and Date Challah Dressing (Or is it stuffing or kugel, IDK)

Honey Roasted Carrots and Sweet Potatoes (AKA Tzimmes)

Sticky Green Beans

Dessert:  Caramel Apple Bundt Cake (made by my wife using a recipe from the cookbook Something Sweet by very talented  Miriam Pascal of the blog Overtime Cook).

To be honest with you, no one touched the chicken and the dates were a bit of a hard sell. People seemed to like the salmon and the roast.  The soup and green beans were also a hit.  The salad, carrots and sweet potatoes, and dressing (stuffing/kugel) seem to have a fairly standard response.  And everyone always likes dessert.

What are some of your favorite Rosh Hashanah dishes? Is there a dish that you make every year or a special recipe that has been passed down for generation in your family? Let us know in the comments below.

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Rosh Hashanah Zucchini Soup
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Zucchini Leek Soup
Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
30 mins
Total Time
45 mins
 

A hearty soup that couldn't be easier.  Can be made with chicken stock, or vegetable broth if you want to keep it vegan.

Course: Appetizer, Soup
Cuisine: Kosher
Keyword: Soup
Servings: 10
Author: Daniel Peikes
Ingredients
  • 8 Large Zucchinis
  • 64 oz Chicken Stock or Vegetable Broth Homemade would be ideal but 2 cartons of stock or broth will work
  • 3 Large Leeks Tough green parts removed, white and light green parts sliced and cleaned
  • 4 Medium Potatoes Peeled and chopped
  • Salt and Pepper to Taste
  • 1/4 lb Thinly Sliced Beef Fry or Bacon Optional
Special Equipment
  • Immersion (AKA Stick) Blender
Instructions

  1. Peel and slice 6 of the zucchini and all 4 of the potatoes. Slice the the peeled zucchinis, potatoes and 2 of the leeks in to 1/4" rounds. Reserve the other zucchinis and leek for later.  Make sure to clean the leeks thoroughly as they can be sandy. 

  2. Pour the chicken stock or vegetable broth in a large stock pot and add the sliced 4 potatoes, 6 zucchinis and 2 leeks.  Put over high heat and cook until the potatoes starting to break apart.

  3. Using the immersion blender, process until smooth.

  4. Slice the additional 2 zucchinis and the leeks in to 1/4" rounds and add to the soup.  Cook until the zucchini just start to soften. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

  5. (Optional) Fry the beef fry or bacon in a pan or the oven until crispy.  Chop into small pieces and use to garnish the soup