Each of the chosen foods —generally a pomegranate, date, string bean, beet, pumpkin, leek, and fish head — symbolize a wish or blessing for prosperity and health in the coming year.

Find more Rosh Hashanah recipes here and on our lively Jewish food blog, The Nosher!

Want to learn more about the High Holidays? Sign up for a special High Holiday prep email series.

Rosh Hashanah Recipes

Challah

Honey Whole Wheat Challah

Chocolate Cranberry Challah Rolls with Citrus Sugar

Balsamic Apple Date Challah

Rosh Hashanah Appetizers and Entrees

Brisket, a traditional cut of meat on Rosh Hashanah

Seitan Brisket, a vegetarian alternative to brisket

Pomegranate Brisket with Cranberry Succotash

Pomegranate and Honey Glazed Chicken

Crockpot Sweet and Sour Brisket

Molly Yeh’s Apple Cider Brisket

Pomegranate Chicken

Cocktail Meatballs with Pignolis and Currants

Instant Pot Georgian Pomegranate Chicken

Sheet Pan Tzimmes-Roasted Chicken Thighs

Crockpot Carne con Papas

Rosh Hashanah Sides

Tzimmes, a hot sweet carrot dish

Sephardic Jeweled Rosh Hashanah Rice

Classic Potato Kugel

Gluten-Free Apple Kugel

Mock Chopped Liver

Saffron Rice with Raisins and Pine Nuts

Italian Sweet and Sour Fish

Couscous with Seven Vegetables

Rosh Hashanah Desserts and Drinks

Apples-and-Honey Punch

Tayglach, dough boiled in honey

Honey Cake

Apple Cake

Sour Cream Apple Coffee Cake

Gluten-Free Apple Cake

Apple and Honey Pie Pops

Salted Honey Apple Upside-Down Cake

Sfratti, honey walnut stick cookies

Apple Kugel Crumble Cake

Easy Vegan Apple Turnovers

Honey Pomegranate Cake

Recipes Featuring Symbolic Rosh Hashanah Foods

Orange and Pomegranate Salad

Syrian Candied Gourd

Black-Eyed Peas with Turmeric and Pomegranate

Beet Chips with Spicy Mayo

Braised Leeks with Thyme and Pomegranate

Green Beans and Honey Tahini

Roasted Beets with Pesto

Braised Leeks

Pumpkin Cranberry Cupcakes

Date Coconut Rolls

The post Rosh Hashanah Traditional Foods and Recipes appeared first on My Jewish Learning.

Find Sephardic recipes here.

There is logic to this broad grouping: Almost all of these lands were part of the Islamic world. The Arab conquest of the 7th and 8th centuries united land from the Iberian peninsula and the Atlantic Ocean to China and India. Active trading went on between these lands, spreading new food all over the region. Eggplant from India, spinach from Nepal, and spices from the Near East are examples of foods that spread throughout the Islamic empire.

Jews participated actively in Islamic society. They were successful in cultural, political, and financial arenas. Thus Sephardic cuisine often represents refined, even aristocratic, food. Besides the quality of the food, the Jews of the Islamic world stressed quantity as well. Asceticism was not valued, and lifecycle celebrations such as circumcisions and weddings were lengthy and luxurious.

RECIPE: Sephardic Jeweled Rosh Hashanah Rice

Cookbooks that cataloged medical advice alongside recipes were a common genre of literature in the Muslim world. The 13th-century Cookbook of the Maghreb and Andalusia, one of the most important of these books, lists five Jewish recipes. All of these are full of spices and aromas and are detailed in their ingredients and preparation. One such dish, a chicken with giblets, was made with, among other things, fennel stalks, coriander, oil, citron leaves, eggs, flour, and chicken liver. The dish is first roasted and then left to sit in murri — a fermented condiment used in medieval cooking — vinegar, rose water, onion juice, and spices. All the dishes in the book, including the Jewish ones, exhibit delicate attention to flavor, texture, and presentation. Jews also authored recipe and dietetics books. Isaac Israelicus’ 10th-century Book of Foods was translated into Latin in the 15th century and used in medical schools until the 17th century.

When the Jews were expelled from Spain in 1492, most made their way to North Africa and Ottoman lands such as Turkey and the Balkans. Half of the North African Jews lived in Morocco, and the Jewish style of food that was common there is still considered  one of Morocco’s four national food styles. The Jews who settled in the Ottoman lands were typically upper class, and their foods resembled the foods of the urban nobility. The kebabs, pilafs and dolmades (stuffed vegetables) of Turkish Jewry are still some of the most recognizable Sephardic dishes.

RECIPE: Sumac Chicken and Rice

Fruits, vegetables, spices, and grains were plentiful in the Mediterranean climate, and thus plant foods figured heavily into Sephardic cuisine. Indeed, Jews were responsible for spreading the use of certain plant foods. Italian Jews prepared artichoke in an innovative way. Leeks and fennel, first used in Jewish cooking, were also later used in non-Jewish cooking in the area. Meats were eaten by Mediterranean Jews, but–except for Shabbat (the Sabbath)–fish was more often on the menu.

The Sephardic Jewish communities began to decline in the 18th century. Colonialism and natural disaster hit these communities hard and, on the whole, the Sephardic communities became impoverished. Nonetheless, Sephardic cuisine still retains the character of its unique heritage, a panoply of foods from many different lands that reflect an intense intermingling of cultures that were often well-to-do and sophisticated.

RECIPE: Stuffed Grape Leaves

It is difficult to identify particular Sephardic foods as Spanish or Greek or Arab. The movement of the Sephardic community and the unique blending of cultures gave rise to an assimilated and variegated cuisine.

The post Sephardic Cuisine appeared first on My Jewish Learning.

This recipe is excerpted from Celebrate: Food, Family, Shabbos by Elizabeth Kurtz.

The post Shabbat Chicken with Dried Fruit Recipe appeared first on My Jewish Learning.

It wasn’t just any potato kugel, it was his grandmother’s potato kugel, Baba Billie of blessed memory. I ate my weight in rich brisket and kugels that holiday and learned my lesson about moderation of Ashkenazi food, no matter how delicious it may be. I still have flashbacks of that stomach ache.

I cannot take any credit for this recipe, it is 110% Baba Billie, and my husband who has worked to recreate the dish and write it down. I hope it will bring other kugel-less homes as much joy as it has brought mine.

Don’t get scared about the amount of oil in this dish, just embrace it. This is the kind of  kugel you make only a few times during the year, and if you cut out the oil, it just won’t be the same.

Classic Potato Kugel Recipe

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4.7 from 3 reviews

Print Recipe

Prepare to fall in love with this classic Ashkenazi holiday and Shabbat dish.

• Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
• Yield: 8-10 servings

Ingredients

Units USM

• 8 medium Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and coarsely shredded
• 2 medium-large onions, coarsely shredded
• 5 large eggs
• ¾ cup matzah meal
• ½ Tbsp salt
• 2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tsp garlic powder
• paprika for sprinkling
• thick sea salt
• ⅓ cup olive oil

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Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375°F.
2. When oven is preheated, add ⅓ cup olive oil to a 9×13 Pyrex dish and put into the oven to heat up.
3. Whisk eggs together in a large bowl.
4. Add shredded potato, onion, matzah meal, salt, pepper and garlic powder. Mix until combined.
5. When oil has been heating about 10 minutes, remove from oven.
6. Add a small spoonful of the potato mixture and if it starts sizzling, it is hot enough. If not, put it back in the oven for a few minutes.
7. When oil is ready, add the entire potato mixture and spread in a even layer using an offset spatula or large spoon.
8. Sprinkle sweet or hot paprika on top and a sprinkle of thick sea salt.
9. Bake for 40-50 minutes until crispy around the edges and golden brown on top.
10. Allow to cool slightly before cutting into squares. Serve warm or room temperature.

• Author: Shannon Sarna
• Prep Time: 40 minutes
• Cook Time: 40-50 minutes
• Category: Side dish
• Method: Roasting
• Cuisine: Askenazi
• Diet: Vegetarian

The post Classic Potato Kugel appeared first on My Jewish Learning.

Each of the chosen foods — generally a pomegranate, date, string bean, beet, pumpkin, leek, and fish head— symbolize a wish or blessing for prosperity and health in the coming year. The food’s significance is most often based on a pun of that food’s name (find out more here.) During the Rosh Hashanah meal, each food is held up, blessed, and eaten as if to personally ingest or take in those good wishes.

Rosh Hashanah’s symbolic foods can make an appearance on the holiday table, regardless of whether one decides to incorporate a full Rosh Hashanah seder into their celebration. For a creative twist on the traditional seder, make dishes inspired by each food (like the ones linked below) and serve them throughout the evening to infuse the entire meal with symbolic meaning as well as delicious flavors.

Pomegranate Brisket with Cranberry Succotash

Beet Chips With Spicy Honey Mayo

Orange and Pomegranate Salad

Pomegranate Truffles

Green Beans with Honey Tahini Glaze

Roasted Beet and Leek Rissotto

Honey Pomegranate Cake

Syrian Candied Gourd

Pomegranate And Honey Glazed Chicken

Roasted Beets with Cilantro-Basil Pesto

Black-Eye Peas With Turmeric and Pomegranate

White Wine Braised Leeks

Pumpkin Cranberry Cupcakes

Date Coconut Rolls

Want to learn more about the High Holidays? Sign up for a special High Holiday prep email series.

The post Beyond Apples and Honey: Symbolic Foods for Rosh Hashanah appeared first on My Jewish Learning.

Stuffed cabbage can be made many ways – with more meat than rice, more rice than meat, no rice at all, in a sweet sauce, in a savory sauce, or in this case, a tangy sweet and sour sauce.

Looking for more recipes? Check out these 8 recipes including vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free and slow-cooker options.

The post VIDEO: How to Make Stuffed Cabbage appeared first on My Jewish Learning.

In July, I finally went back to Mediterranean Cafe since leaving Madison four years ago. I ordered the falafel sandwich, which they wrap several times with a thin pita (like lavash), and a slice of pistachio baklava for dessert. On my way out, I thanked Faycal, the owner, who, every day, cooks his Algerian specialties right there behind the counter. “Where have you been?” he asked.

With that, I told him I’ve been on the other side of the country, trying to re-create his cinnamon-eggplant moussaka and pistachio baklava. He told me to call him up if I needed help–an offer I’ll never forget.

Of all the Med Cafe dishes I’ve tried to imitate, I’ve had the most success with baklava. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that cinnamon and cardamom-spiced nuts covered with honey syrup never tastes wrong. With Rosh Hashanah just around the corner, it’s the perfect time to share this sweet, honey-drenched dessert.

My recipe is unique because it’s made with neither refined sugar nor butter. For Rosh Hashanah, I wanted to use only honey and avoid dairy products so as to make it pareve. Next time, I’ll try replacing honey with silan, or date syrup, for deeper flavor.

Don’t be afraid of phyllo dough! Here are some tips:

Phyllo dough is found in the frozen food section, near pie crusts and puff pastry. Buy it, freeze it, and take out of the freezer by placing in the fridge a day before you plan to use it.

When you’re ready to use it, take the phyllo dough out of the box, unroll it, and place on the plastic sheet that comes wrapped around the dough. Place a dampened paper towel on top to prevent the baklava from drying out.

It’s ok if your phyllo sheets tear or break. You won’t be able to tell in the end. Just piece them back together like puzzle pieces and lightly brush with oil.

Your phyllo dough will likely be wider than the pan. Just fold over the long edge and brush with oil. Do this on different sides, alternating, so that the phyllo sheets stack evenly atop one another.

Note: Baklava can be enjoyed the day of, but its flavors really sink in after a day. You can store in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

Baklava with Honey and Cardamom Recipe

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You won’t miss refined sugar or butter with this sweet treat featuring cinnamon and cardamom-spiced nuts covered with honey syrup.

• Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
• Yield: Serves 6-8

Ingredients

Units USM

• 16 oz raw pistachios, walnuts, blanched almonds or hazelnuts (or a mix)
• 2 tsp cinnamon, ground
• 2 tsp cardamom, ground
• ¼ cup honey or brown sugar
• 1 pack frozen phyllo dough sheets, thawed
• 1 cup oil (coconut or olive oil work well) or melted butter

For the syrup:

• 1 ½ cup honey
• ¾ cup water
• 2 Tbsp lemon juice
• rind of 1 lemon, peeled
• cinnamon stick
• 5 cardamom pods
• 2 Tbsp rose water

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Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. First, add the nuts to a food processor. Pulse until the nuts are chopped finely but not ground into powder. Transfer to a bowl, and add cinnamon, cardamom and honey. Stir to combine.
3. Next, prepare the dough. Gently take the roll of phyllo dough out from its package, taking care not to rip or tear the sheets. Unroll the dough and place a damp tea towel or paper towel over the top sheet to keep the dough from becoming dry and flaky.
4. Place your bowl of melted butter or oil and the bowl of chopped nuts next to the stack of phyllo dough. Place your baking pan (9x12x2 inches) nearby.
5. Using a pastry brush, oil the bottom and sides of the pan. Then carefully remove the top sheet of phyllo dough and place it in the pan. Lightly brush oil over the entire top of this sheet. Place another sheet of phyllo dough on top of the first sheet, brush oil on top, and add another sheet. Continue layering phyllo dough and oil until you have a stack of 10 sheets.
6. On the next sheet, spread 1/2 of the nut mixture on top with your hands. Try and make sure that the nuts are covering the entire sheet.
7. Cover the nuts with another layer of phyllo, and brush oil on top. Continue layering phyllo and oil until you have 5 more sheets. On top of the 6th sheet, add the rest of the nuts.
8. Add 10 more layers of oiled phyllo dough. Brush oil across the top sheet, too.
9. With a chef’s knife, make 6 long rows across the long side of the pan. Then cut diagonally across the pan from one corner to the other, and make cuts parallel to that diagonal line across the rest of the pan. Set in the oven and bake for 35-45 minutes, until the top is crisp and golden.
10. Meanwhile, make the syrup. Combine all syrup ingredients except for rosewater in a saucepan and boil for 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Take off the heat, and stir in the rosewater. Let cool for at least 10 minutes, then strain.
11. When the baklava is done baking, let it cool for at least 30 minutes. The baklava will hold its crisp layers better if you let it cool down a bit before adding the syrup. When both the syrup and baklava have cooled, drizzle the syrup over the baklava. Don’t be afraid to use it all! Refrigerate for 1 hour before serving.

Notes

Baklava can be enjoyed the day of, but its flavors really sink in after a day. You can store in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

• Author: Aly Miller
• Prep Time: 30 minutes
• Cook Time: 50 minutes
• Category: Dessert
• Method: Baking
• Cuisine: Middle Eastern

The post Baklava with Honey and Cardamom Recipe appeared first on My Jewish Learning.

Chocolate chip challah on its own is delicious and doesn’t need much other than a little vanilla and cinnamon. But it’s also great when you make double chocolate challah with a chocolate dough or peanut butter and crumb topping. But this High Holiday season I wanted something that was simple, sophisticated and maybe just a little fancy all at the same time.

If you’ve never made challah rolls, they are so easy. In fact sometimes I find them even easier than braiding a regular challah. I suggest using a kitchen scale to measure 2.5-3 oz pieces so the rolls are as uniform as possible. By measuring your rolls, you also ensure they will also bake evenly. Here is how I make mine:

If citrus isn’t your thing just top with a sprinkle of thick sea salt or substitute with a cinnamon sugar topping. This can also be made with dried cherries instead of cranberries, another favorite combination.

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The post Chocolate Cranberry Challah Rolls with Citrus Sugar appeared first on My Jewish Learning.

A New Culinary Picture Emerges

The face of the new nation changed, and gradually a new culinary picture emerged. But first the infant state found itself surrounded by enemies, and absorb­ing 100,000 immigrants a year. This time the wave was comprised not only of displaced survivors of the Holocaust, but of Jews from all over the Middle East. With each ethnic group came different styles of eating and cooking.

The massive immigration was a strain on the economy, so the period from 1948 to 1958 was a time of government-regulated zena (food rationing) and ma’abarot (makeshift dwellings). Women cooked with khubeiza (wild greens) from the fields; new foods, like Ben-Gurion’s “Israeli couscous,” were intro­duced to satisfy the needs of the multicultural population; and surplus vegetables, like eggplant, were ingeniously used to simulate meat. Israel’s canning industry increased production, supplying canned tomato paste and puree, hummus, tahina, and mayonnaise in tubes.

READ: Recipe for Israeli Couscous-Stuffed Acorn Squash

One of the many issues to be resolved in this new Jewish country was the official position on the dietary laws [kashrut]. Ben-Gurion decided to remain with the “status quo” agreement, maintaining rabbinical supervision of kashrut in all government organizations, military service, schools, and hospitals.

Even the rabbis, however, had to compromise. The U.S. government, through the Agency for International Development, sent millions of pounds of preserved foods, such as dried eggs, dried skim milk, butter, dried codfish, and cheddar cheese. Maury Atkin, who worked at the newly created Israeli embassy in Washington at the time, recalled how the rabbis in Israel asked if the cheese was kosher. “We told them that cheddar cheese was the most wholesome cheese sold in America, even if it includes a small amount of non-kosher animal rennet. Because there were so many starving children, the Chief Rabbi of Israel issued an edict that the cheddar cheese sent over would be kosher for children up to the age of 14.”

READ: How to Make Israeli Hummus

Kosher meat was scarce as well. Before the war it was often imported to Pales­tine from Romania. After the war, it was eventually supplied from Uganda, Argentina, and Brazil. The only kosher beef in the early years of the state came from male calves produced from the rapidly growing herds of dairy cows. Under a Jewish Agency program, thousands of heifers were being sent to Israel from the United States by plane and ship. It was not until the late Fifties, however, when water sources had improved, that large herds of beef cattle were introduced into the Israeli agricultural economy.

Diversity of Israeli Food

As the fertility of the land increased, so did the excitement of creating food to meet the needs of the growing population. “Israel is unique,” said Shaul Homsky, author of Fruits Grown in Israel. “Within a small area, for example, a subtropical climate exists — near the Sea of Galilee, where mangoes, kiwis and bananas can grow — alongside a temperate climate in the mountains of Galilee and the Golan, where cherries and apples grow.”

Diversity of Israeli agriculture also has been affected by the constantly changing population; the European population that developed in the 1920s, ’30s, and ’40s was accustomed to eating apples, plums, and cherries, while later immigrants from Middle Eastern countries liked to eat and grow grapes, olives, and dates.

“Because of the lack of a deep agricultural tradition,” Mr. Homsky wrote, “farmers on the kibbutzim [agricultural collectives] were ready to accept new techniques and experiment with new fruits and vegetables, unlike in a coun­try like Greece, where for generations farmers have been tilling the soil in the same way and people have had the same diet.”

READ: Recipe for Israeli Salad

Sometimes the experiments did not work. In 1961, Moshe Dayan, minister of agriculture, decided to replace Israel’s favorite Marymont — a large, oval, and juicy tomato — with a thicker-skinned, cylindrical, and almost juiceless tomato, slightly larger than a cherry tomato. Dagan thought this “Moneymaker” would be heartier and cheaper to produce, and would appeal to the export market. In the transition from one strain of tomato to the other, 5,000 tons of Mon­eymaker tomatoes were to be grown in the first season, half for local consumption and half for export. Farmers were encouraged to grow only Moneymakers. But he experiment was a failure both inside and outside the country, and the local press dubbed it Dayan’s “assault” on agriculture.

READ: Recipe for Falafel

Still, new fruits and vegetables had an increasing presence in the local market, and ambitious young chefs began to take advantage of their novelty. Chef Uri Guttman, who from the late ’60s on was considered the ambassador of the Israeli kitchen, came up with innovative concoctions like a hot avocado soup; “St. Peter’s fish” with mango and pomegranate; and crepes stuffed with pears, nuts, dates, and figs. Schooled in the French culinary tradition, Guttman traveled around the world representing Israel in cook­ing competitions and adapted unusual recipes to what was available in the country. He also developed menus for army bases and restau­rants, using local products. “One of my dreams was to establish an Israeli cuisine,” he said. “It is hard, though, with Jews coming from so many countries.”

Golan Heights Wine and Grapes

When the Golan Heights were annexed in 1967, apples — one of the few fruits that the Israelis were not adept at growing — were planted there and thrived in the cold nights and the high, dry altitude. Israelis also had the same success with grapes at the Golan Heights Winery, close to the Syrian border. These new varietals were of a much higher quality than Baron de Rothschild’s plantings had been at his low-lying coastal wineries a hundred years earlier. The Golan Heights Winery, jointly owned by the nearby kibbutzim that supplied the grapes, introduced its first vintage in 1983, from grapes planted ten years earlier. These kosher wines have been winning sil­ver and gold medals in international competitions ever since.

In 1973, Dr. Itzhak Adate, a scientist with the Vulcani Institute in Rehovot [an Israeli city] went on a professional tour to New Zealand where he tasted the kiwi, which had been introduced from China. Bringing a few cuttings and seeds back, he asked the kibbutzniks at Kibbutz Ammiad, located down the road from his home, to plant them. By 1980 the first kiwis had come to the market. With the abundant crop, Scottish-born Jeff Marks, a wine hobbyist and a member of the kibbutz, suggested that kiwi wine might taste as good as cordials made from pears, berries, and plums. Today, the kibbutz exports kiwi wine to countries throughout the world. Ironically, although Israel’s agricultural industry is at the forefront of the global marketplace, kibbutz involvement has become proportionally less, with less than 2 percent of Israel’s population now living on the kibbutzim.

Throughout the Middle East, where emotions run high, politics also plays a major role in the complicated global market. Since the 1980s, for example, when all trade with Iran was blocked, Israel has become the main exporter of Iranian variants of mint, parsley, and other herb seeds for Iranian-American growers.

READ: “Zahav: A World of Israeli Cooking” Wins James Beard Book of the Year Award

In the past two decades, with a general rise in disposable income and the elimination of travel taxes imposed on the struggling economy, Israelis have become open to new experiences in travel and food. After their two-year mandatory service in the Israel Defense Forces, many young Israeli soldiers go abroad, most frequently to travel in East Asia or Latin America and to spend some time working in the United States. Many of these young people return home with new culinary tastes, as did American Peace Corps volunteers in the 1960s. A number of them have become chefs, schooled in international cuisine and influential in the development of modern Israeli cooking.

Biblical Foods

Despite their global lifestyles, the new Israeli chefs still cultivate a link to the foods of the Old Testament. Grapes, dates, lentils, and chickpeas are but a few of the ancient ingredients that have captured their imaginations in producing signa­ture dishes. With constant waves of immigration, Israel is rapidly incorporating the native cuisines of its new populations.

The story of Israeli food is not just a Jewish story — its recipes cross borders more easily than people do. It is also the story of a land that has overcome harsh natural deprivation to bring forth new agricultural produce. Because it constantly incorporates so much from the rest of the world, Israel may never boast of one “cuisine,” but it will always retain a rich mixture of fine tastes. It reflects the modern mosaic of the country, embracing the culinary influences of its Arab neighbors and accommodating the varied tastes of the world’s Jews.

This article is reprinted from The Foods of Israel Today.

The post The Evolution of Israeli Cuisine appeared first on My Jewish Learning.

Everything Bagel Latkes

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Perfect for brunch or a Hanukkah dinner!

• Total Time: 50-60 minutes
• Yield: 4-6

Ingredients

For the latkes:

• 3 lbs russet potatoes
• 1 small onion, white or yellow
• 3 large eggs
• 3 cloves garlic, minced fine
• ¾ cup potato starch or all-purpose flour
• 2 Tbsp everything bagel seasoning
• 2 tsp kosher salt (1 tsp if your everything Bbagel seasoning includes salt)

For the toppings:

• 6 oz cream cheese, at room temperature
• 2 Tbsp chopped fresh dill
• 1 Tbsp chopped fresh chives or scallion
• 1 Tbsp lemon juice
• Thinly sliced smoked salmon (about 4-6 oz)
• Everything bagel season, as needed for garnish

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Instructions

1. Peel your potatoes, and keep them in a large bowl of cold water until ready to shred them. Peel the onion and cut it in half.
2. Using the medium-sized whole on a box grater, or the grating attachment on a food processor, shred the onions and potatoes.
3. Squeeze out excess moisture from the potatoes using a clean kitchen towel, cheesecloth, or paper towels. Add the strained potatoes and onions back to the large bowl.
4. Add the eggs, garlic, potato starch, everything bagel seasoning, and salt to the large bowl. Mix until well combined.
5. To fry the latkes, fill a large skillet with a ¼” depth of oil. Prepare a sheet pan with a rack or paper towels on top. Heat the oil on medium-high, until a drop of latke mixture sizzles when added. Add about a ¼ cup of latke mixture to the hot oil, press lightly down to form an evenly-thick circular shape. Fry on each side until golden brown, about 2-3 minutes per side. You may have to lower and raise the heat as needed to keep the oil from getting too hot or cold. Once golden brown on both sides, transfer to your lined baking sheet and sprinkle with a little extra salt.
6. To make the cream cheese topping: combine the cream cheese, dill, chives, and lemon juice in a small bowl.
7. To assemble: top each latke with the cream cheese toping, a small piece of smoked salmon, and a sprinkle of everything bagel seasoning.

• Author: Sonya Sanford and Shannon Sarna
• Prep Time: 20 minutes
• Cook Time: 30-40 minutes
• Category: Dinner
• Method: Stovetop
• Cuisine: Holidays

The post Everything Bagel Latkes Recipe appeared first on My Jewish Learning.

The recipe wasn’t hard to make. Make a broth of the bones, onion, carrot and celery, infused with kosher salt, a palm’s worth of sugar and lots and lots of black pepper. Boil it up until flavorful and then cook the fish in the roiling broth. Give it an hour or two and voila! Gefilte fish — round, ground fish balls — were yours for the taking, white and light, fluffy and sweetly seasoned, to be coupled with hot red chrain, the beet horseradish condiment that served as a counterpoint to the mildly flavored Eastern European delicacy.

Sounds easy, right? Well, it was. Probably as difficult as making meatballs in a bath of tomato sauce. What wasn’t easy was the smell it left in your home, the horrible, heavy scent that made your home NOT smell like home-sweet-home. It was a smell that, when you walked in the front door, forced you to say: “Open the windows!”

As Rosh Hashanah nears, and thoughts grow of the round fish balls that signify a full and plentiful year, I went in search of a 21st-century gefilte fish, a classic with a lightly scented twist. I wanted something equally as simple as the old school variety with a lighter, more pleasing flavor and perfume.

I found it in this updated American-style gefilte fish, made with sweet, white halibut and salmon – and no fish bones! It’s traditional but modern, a nod to the past and an embrace of how we eat and cook today.

The following recipe is printed with permission from “The Community Table and Stories from The Jewish Community Center in Manhattan & Beyond” by Katja Goldman, Judy Bernstein Bunzl and Lisa Rotmil. 

Homemade Salmon-Halibut Gefilte Fish

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5 from 2 reviews

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A traditional, yet modern, recipe that’s surprisingly simple to make.

• Total Time: 2 hours 20 minutes
• Yield: Serves 6-8

Ingredients

Units USM

For the court bouillon (cooking broth):

• 4 quarts water
• ½ bunch fresh thyme
• ½ bunch fresh flat leaf parsley
• ¼ tsp whole black peppercorns
• ¼ tsp whole fennel seeds
• 2 ½ cups dry white wine
• 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
• 1 medium carrot, peeled and sliced into ¼-inch rounds
• ½ lemon, cut into ¼-inch slices
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 Tbsp coarse salt

For the fish:

• 1 ½ lb skinless filleted halibut
• 1 ½ lb skinless filleted salmon
• 2 medium onions, grated (about 1 cup)
• 2 medium carrots, peeled and finely grated (about ½ cup)
• finely grated zest of 1 organic lemon
• 1 Tbsp minced celery or minced fennel fronds
• 3 extra-large eggs
• 6 Tbsp matzah meal
• 6 Tbsp water
• 1–3 Tbsp sugar
• 1 ½ Tbsp kosher salt
• 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper

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Instructions

1. For the court bouillon (cooking broth), fill a stockpot with the water. Place the thyme, parsley, peppercorns and fennel seeds in a small piece of cheesecloth, knot to enclose, and add to the stockpot. Add the wine, onion, carrot, lemon, bay leaves and salt.
2. Cover the pot and bring to a simmer over medium-low heat. Remove the lid, and simmer gently for 30 minutes. Remove and discard the cheesecloth package.
3. For the fish, cut the fillets into 1-inch pieces. Working in batches, pulse the fish in a food processor until roughly ground.
4. Place the ground fish in a large bowl and add the onions, carrots, zest, celery or fennel fronds, eggs, matzah meal, water, sugar (to taste), salt and pepper. Mix until just combined. Chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
5. Fill a medium bowl with ice water. Wetting your hands in the water as you work, form ½-cup portions (3 to 4 ounces each) of the fish mixture into ovals or round balls. Bring the court bouillon to a gentle simmer.
6. Add enough fish cakes to make one layer in the pot and poach until the fish turns opaque and its shape is set, about 3 minutes. Add the rest. Simmer, continuing to poach the fish until cooked through, 30 minutes.
7. Remove the pan from the heat and allow the gefilte fish to cool in the bouillon, about 20 minutes.
8. Remove the fish from the bouillon and transfer to a storage container. Ladle 2 Tbsp bouillon over the fish, cover the container and chill. Serve with your favorite horseradish.

• Author: Katja Goldman, Judy Bernstein Bunzl and Lisa Rotmil
• Prep Time: 30 minutes + 50 minutes chill
• Cook Time: 1 hour
• Category: Appetizer
• Method: Quick
• Cuisine: Ashkenazi

The post You Can Actually Make Your Own (Delicious) Gefilte Fish appeared first on My Jewish Learning.

And this is what the flesh of the fruit looks like when it is removed from its thick, green, dragon-egg-like shell:

Jackfruit was originally cultivated in India, but is grown throughout tropical regions including Southeast Asia, South America, Australia and the Caribbean. But you don’t have to travel to the topics to find it — you can buy it in cans from Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods. You can even find it fresh at many specialty fruit shops. And when it is cooked, it has an incredibly meaty, hearty taste and texture. It’s also low in calories, high in fiber and is considered an environmentally friendly food, since it is drought resistant.

After reading and researching about this wonder fruit, I thought jackfruit would make a great vegetarian (or vegan, if you omit the honey) brisket option.You can serve this entree for summer picnics and BBQs alongside buns and coleslaw, or save it for Shabbat dinners and holidays. It’s easy, satisfying meat-free deliciousness.

Note: This can be prepared 2-3 days ahead of time and heated through when ready to serve. 

Vegetarian Brisket Recipe

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The plant-based don’t need to miss out this Passover!

• Total Time: 50 minutes
• Yield: Serves 6-8

Ingredients

• 1 (28-oz) can crushed tomatoes
• ¼ cup brown sugar
• 2 Tbsp honey (can also use maple syrup or agave if making dish vegan)
• ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
• ½ cup water
• ½ cup red wine (can also use grape juice or sweet kosher wine like Manischewitz)
• 1 chopped onion
• 3 garlic cloves, minced, grated or pressed
• 2 (20-oz) cans jackfruit, drained

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Instructions

1. Combine crushed tomatoes, brown sugar, honey, apple cider vinegar, water, wine, onion and garlic in a large pot over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil then add jackfruit.
2. Reduce heat to low-medium and cover pot.
3. Cook for 30 minutes over low-medium heat.
4. Remove cover and test whether you can break up the jackfruit using the back of a wooden spoon. If the jackfruit isn’t tender enough to pull yet, cook it for another 15-20 minutes, or until tender.
5. Serve warm.

Notes

This can be prepared 2-3 days ahead of time and heated through when ready to serve. 

• Author: Shannon Sarna
• Prep Time: 5 minutes
• Cook Time: 45 minutes
• Category: Holiday
• Method: Stovetop
• Cuisine: Vegan

The post This Vegetarian Brisket Recipe Actually Tastes Like Meat appeared first on My Jewish Learning.

According to Joan Nathan, while Jews have been serving chicken for Friday night dinner since the Middle Ages, it is a relatively recent occurrence that Friday night chicken has become roasted chicken.

Historically, Jews simmered the chicken with rice or made a tagine or fricassee of it. Ashkenazi Jews would boil it, serving the soup as a first course and cutting off the breasts to make cutlets for the Shabbat main dish.

Today chicken is still common (and delicious) to serve on Friday night, and while even the best of us love a good, simple roast chicken, we also crave some variety. So here are 25 totally delicious, different wonderful recipes to try all year round.

1. One Pan Roast Chicken with Potatoes and Carrots
2. Roast Chicken with Lemon and Thyme from Kosher Camembert
3. Roast Chicken with Fresh Pineapple
4. Cranberry Balsamic Roast Chicken from Cotter Crunch
5. Pomegranate BBQ Chicken from Kitchen-Tested
6. Honey Harissa Roast Chicken
7. Beer Can Roasted Chicken from Cooking Glory
8. Roasted Chicken with Autumn Vegetables
9. Simple Spatchcock Chicken
10. Braised Barley Wine Chicken from Nosherium
11. Coconut Pot Roasted Chicken from Recipe Tin Eats
12. Citrus Herb Roast Chicken (with video!)
13. Peri Peri Roast Chicken from Delicious Magazine
14. Pomegranate and Honey Glazed Chicken
15. Honey Horseradish Roasted Chicken
16. Shabbat Chicken with Dried Fruit
17. Ina Garten’s Engagement Roast Chicken
18. One Pot Greek Oven-Roasted Chicken from Super Golden Bakes
19. Seasoned Spatchcock Chicken with Za’atar Potatoes from What’s for Dinner Esq. 
20. Baked Chicken with Fig Orange Balsamic Sauce from Ronnie Fein
21. Oven Roasted Sweet and Sticky Chicken from Don’t Waste the Crumbs
22. Beer Roasted Chicken with Chipotle Chimichurri from The Artful Desperado
23. Maple Mustard Roasted Chicken from Tales of an Overtime Cook
24. Roasted Shabbat Chicken with Spring Vegetables from What Jew Wanna Eat
25. Za’atar Sheet Pan Chicken with Cauliflower and Chickpeas

The post 25 Roast Chicken Recipes for Friday Night Dinner appeared first on My Jewish Learning.

I think the secret to great chopped liver is lots of fried onions, a little bit of schmaltz and not over-broiling the livers. According to rules of kashrut livers, must be fully cooked. But if you cook them exactly the right amount of time, or just slightly under, the liver result is much richer than if you over-broil them and dry them out.

You can buy schmaltz (chicken fat) in most grocery stores or butcher shops, but it is also very easy to make. The basic method is to cook pieces of chicken skin and fat in a pan with a little water and lots of onions very low and slow until the fat is release. Strain the fat, and it’s ready for chopped liver! The bits of onion and fried chicken skin are known as gribenes and are absolutely delicious eaten on the side. Think of them like Jewish pork rinds.

Follow this simple, classic recipe and you’ll be schmearing chopped liver before you know it. We love it on pletzl, an Ashkenazi flatbread topped with onion and poppy seeds.

If you have non-meat eaters in your midst, this vegan chopped liver with mushrooms and miso is just as rich and flavorful as the real deal. And this simple mock chopped liver recipe with mushroom and walnuts is a cinch to whip up.

Note: The chopped liver can be kept refrigerated in an airtight container for up to four days.

Chopped Liver

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This classic chopped liver recipe is surprisingly easy to make from scratch!

• Total Time: 40 minutes
• Yield: Serves 4-6

Ingredients

Units USM

• 1 lb raw livers (or buy already broiled from butcher)
• 2–3 Tbsp olive oil or schmaltz
• 2 onions, sliced
• ¼ cup olive oil
• ⅓-½ cup sweet wine or brandy
• 2 hard-boiled eggs, chopped
• fresh thyme
• salt and pepper, to taste

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Instructions

1. If livers are raw, set oven to broil. Place livers on a baking sheet lined with foil in a single layer.
2. Broil until livers are just no longer pink in the middle, about 3-4 minutes each side. Allow to cool slightly.
3. In a large sauté pan over medium heat, add 2-3 Tbsp olive oil or schmaltz. Add onions and cook for 15-20 minutes, until onions are browned.
4. Place livers, half the onions, ¼ cup olive oil, ⅓ cup sweet wine or brandy and the leaves of 2-3 fresh thyme sprigs into a food processor fitted with blade. Pulse a few times.
5. Taste, adding around ¼ tsp salt and ⅛ tsp pepper. Add more to taste. You can also add more wine or brandy at this point depending on desired consistency and taste. Pulse a few more times.
6. Scoop liver mixture into a large bowl. Fold in chopped hard boiled eggs and the other half of the fried onions. Serve with a sprinkle of fresh thyme, if desired.

Notes

The chopped liver can be kept refrigerated in an airtight container for up to four days.

• Author: Shannon Sarna
• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 30 minutes
• Category: Appetizer
• Method: Stovetop
• Cuisine: Ashkenazi

The post How to Make Chopped Liver appeared first on My Jewish Learning.

Watch below for her tips and tricks, or see the full recipe below. You can also try this recipe from Joan Nathan.

Ronnie Fein’s Meat Kreplach Recipe

The post Kreplach Recipe: Jewish Dumplings You Can Make at Home appeared first on My Jewish Learning.

This tahini sauce can be stored in a sealed container for 3-4 days in the refrigerator. Add more water or lemon juice if it thickens up.

It’s not uncommon to find meatballs or fish fillets simmered in tahini when dining in Israel. To avoid having the sauce seize up, I’ve cooked these meatballs on the stovetop and layered them with tahini in an oven-to-table casserole. Stick the casserole under the broiler just long enough to relax the tomatoes and reheat the meatballs. Be sure to garnish generously as this dish needs a pop of color to brighten the creamy sauce.

A note about this recipe: The tahini will turn a bit golden and appear thickened after being exposed to the broiler. Fear not! Once you spoon the sauce it will be deliciously runny. Serve these meatballs over brown rice or couscous and enjoy the broiled tomatoes. For a complete meal, serve with chopped Israeli style salad or wok your favorite green veggie (broccoli, bok choy or spinach) and serve alongside these delicious meatballs.

Meatballs with Tahini and Tomatoes

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An easy but flavorful weeknight dinner.

• Total Time: 25 minutes
• Yield: 36 meatballs

Ingredients

Units USM

For the meatballs:

• 2 lbs chopped beef or combination of beef and lamb
• 2 eggs, whisked
• 1 medium onion, minced or grated
• ½ cup fresh parsley, stems removed and chopped. Reserve 1 Tbsp for garnish.
• 1 tsp cumin
• ¼ tsp allspice
• 1 tsp salt
• 6–8 twists of black pepper (ground)
• 8 cloves garlic, minced. Reserve 1 tsp for tahini sauce (see recipe below).
• ½ cups bread crumbs
• 1 cup halved cherry tomatoes or chopped tomato
• 3 Tbsp canola oil (for frying)

For the tahini sauce: 

• 1 ½ cups tahini
• 4 Tbsp lemon juice, freshly squeezed (save some zest for garnish)
• 1 cup cold water
• 1 Tbsp (reserved) fresh garlic
• salt and pepper to taste

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Instructions

1. First, make the meatballs. Place chopped beef in a large bowl. Add grated onion, eggs, parsley, garlic, all dried seasonings and bread crumbs. Mix meat gently until well-integrated. Do not over-mix. (Grated onion integrates better into meatballs than chopped onion. Be sure to use the juice that collects when grating.The extra liquid helps to keep meatballs soft.)
2. Form into meatballs, rolling between your palms and dampening your hands if the meat sticks. Flatten meatballs with back of a tablespoon to facilitate more even cooking.
3. Heat oil to medium/high in large cast iron or nonstick pan.
4. Fry meatballs 3-4 minutes or until lightly browned. Turn and brown second side. Do not crowd meatballs in pan. Fry in 2-3 batches as needed. Remove meatballs to a paper towel-lined plate.
5. Next, make the tahini sauce. Whisk all ingredients together in a large bowl until well blended. The texture should be very loose, almost watery.
6. Next, preheat the broiler.
7. In an ovenproof casserole (Pyrex 10×16 or 2 casseroles) pour 1 cup blended tahini into bottom of pan (or pans) and nestle meatballs into pans. Meatballs should be in one layer. Pour remaining tahini over the meatballs.
8. Place chopped tomatoes on top of meatballs and scatter into the tahini (this doesn’t have to be perfect). Place under broiler for 3-4 minutes until tomatoes begin to sizzle.
9. Serve meatballs directly from the oven, sprinkled with remaining parsley and some lemon zest (if desired).

• Author: Liz Rueven
• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 10 minutes
• Category: Dinner
• Method: Oven
• Cuisine: Israeli

The post Meatballs with Tahini and Tomatoes Recipe appeared first on My Jewish Learning.

Since that visit, I have been loading up my matzah ball soup with rice and matzah balls, sometimes alphabet noodles or ramen noodles per my daughter’s request, and even awesome store-bought dumplings. If you are feeling adventurous, you can certainly try making your own meat kreplach. Although I have been opting for these store-bought Kosher’us veal or beef pelmeni I buy at Shop Rite or our local kosher butcher.

The key to making a good loaded matzo ball soup is to keep all the ingredients separate until serving. After making soup, remove the veggies and the chicken and store them in separate containers until ready to serve.

Or if you decide to use store-bought chicken broth, cook your rice, noodles and matzah balls separately, and then build the bowl of soup for each individual.  This is truly the ultimate Jewish comfort food on a cool night, or any time you need a little chicken soup love.

Loaded Matzah Ball Soup

The post The Most Outrageous Matzah Ball Soup Recipe appeared first on My Jewish Learning.

Besides the Jewish-Lebanese-Syrian food we ate at home, we were exposed to a variety of different Sephardic cuisines. The first time we tasted a Yemenite soup was seven years ago, and we still remember the warming comforting spiced broth, that we could not get enough of.

Yemenite soup is typically made with hawaij, a spice mix that combines black pepper, cumin, cardamom, cloves, turmeric and coriander.  For the Yemenite Vegetarian soup we made today, we used a mixture of turmeric, cumin, coriander and black pepper. We added a whole bunch of veggies and some enoki mushrooms for texture.  The result is a warming, comforting and satisfying soup perfect for any occasion.

If you have a particular spice you love, or feel like getting creative, you can absolutely play around with the basic hawaij and make it your own!

Vegetarian Yemenite Soup Recipe

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Yemenite soup is typically made with hawaij, a spice mix that combines black pepper, cumin, cardamom, cloves, turmeric and coriander.  We added a whole bunch of veggies and some enoki mushrooms for texture.  The result is a warming, comforting and satisfying soup perfect for any occasion.

• Total Time: 1 hour
• Yield: Serves 6-8

Ingredients

Units USM

• 1 medium celeriac (celery root), cubed (about 3 cups), divided
• 4–5 medium carrots, sliced (about 2 cups)
• 1 ½ cups cubed butternut squash
• 1 medium onion, cut into eight pieces (about 1 cup)
• 1 medium parsnip, sliced (about 1 cup)
• 2 medium Yukon gold potatoes, cubed (about 1 cup)
• 3 garlic cloves
• 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 4 Tbsp tomato paste
• 2 tsp salt
• 2 tsp turmeric
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp coriander
• ½ tsp ground black pepper
• 10 oz enoki mushrooms, roots removed

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Instructions

1. Combine half the celery root, the carrots, onions and garlic in the food processor and pulse until chopped very small.
2. Heat olive oil in a large soup pot. Add chopped vegetables and cook over medium high heat for 10-12 minutes, stirring frequently.
3. Add tomato paste, salt, turmeric, cumin, coriander and pepper and continue cooking for 3-4 minutes, stirring frequently.
4. Add 8 cups water, bring to a boil and add the rest of the celery root, butternut squash and the potatoes.
5. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 35-40 minutes.
6. Remove from heat. Add enoki mushrooms and let it sit, covered for 5-10 minutes. Enjoy!

• Author: Vicky Cohen and Ruth Fox
• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 50 minutes
• Category: Soup
• Method: Stovetop
• Cuisine: Yemenite
• Diet: Vegetarian

The post Vegetarian Yemenite Soup Recipe appeared first on My Jewish Learning.

In fact, it wasn’t until the late 1500s that potatoes arrived in Europe from South America. Thus, the history of creative, non-potato latkes recipes runs deep. So if you’re interested in latkes but you can’t stomach any more Yukon Gold, just grate some beets, cauliflower, or carrots, or fry up some cheese!

Plantain latkes with avocado crema (above)

Indian-spiced cauliflower latkes with cilantro chutney

Broccoli stem latkes

Ramen latkes with Sriracha mayo

Cheese latkes

Colorful veggie latkes

Gingered sweet potato latkes

Curried sweet potato latkes

Healthy spinach latkes

The post 9 Latke Recipes That Don’t Use Potatoes appeared first on My Jewish Learning.

But the truth is, everyone loves latkes, regardless of their background. There’s something about the crispy, shredded potatoes that no one can resist. And even though we didn’t grow up eating them (it was all about sufganiyot for us), we make them for our family every year…and not only during Hanukkah!

This year we wanted to go the sweet route, since we’ve always made savory latkes. We added Gala apples, cinnamon and cardamom to the batter. The simple yet delicious dipping sauce combines tahini and silan, a sweet, dark amber-colored syrup made from dates and water.

The inspiration for this sauce comes from a tahini-silan spread our parents used to eat when we were kids. They would serve it on a plate with big pieces of pita or French baguette. Consider it the Middle Eastern PB&J!

The post Apple Potato Latkes Recipe with Tahini Silan Sauce appeared first on My Jewish Learning.