Recipes

Tzimmes!

A rabbit making Tzimmes?

Ingredients

• 6 large carrots
• 2 medium sweet potatoes
• 1 cup mixed dried apricots, prunes, raisins, dried cranberries
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 4 tablespoons honey
• 3 tablespoons lemon juice
• 2 cups orange juice
• 1 tablespoon or so of grated lemon (some orange peel is also nice)
• 1/2 teaspoon powdered or grated ginger root
• 1/4 cup butter (or suitable substitute)
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• Salt to taste if you like
• *A little chopped apple or whatever fruit you may want to add to this is also cool; also, some prefer this slightly more tart/ less sweet, so you can vary the sugar, honey and juice amounts (and otherwise also mess around with any ingredient).

Directions

1. Clean, peel and chunk your carrots and sweet potatoes.
2. Place them in pot with your orange and lemon juices, boil for about ten minutes.
3. Add everything else. Let simmer low heat for about an hour. Most of the liquid will be have been absorbed by the time it's ready.

Better-Than-Cake Yogurt Snack

It's addictive, very filling, healthy, and perfect for the season.

Ingredients

• 3/4 to 1 cup plain yogurt
• 1 finely chopped apple (don't bother peeling)
• 1 heaping tablespoon crushed walnuts or pecans
• 1 teaspoon honey
• A couple tablespoons of your favorite granola or muesli
• Seeds of 1/8-1/4 of a pomegranate
  &/or pomegranate syrup to taste
• A largish bowl

Leek Fritters

From The Sefardic Side...
Everyone has their own way of doing these, it seems. At base, you need leeks, eggs, some flour or matzoh meal or bread crumbs, salt and pepper. The rest is pick-&-choose optional creative variation….

Ingredients

• 3 leeks
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup bread crumbs or matzoh meal (or self-rising flour, if you like a "lighter" version)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon coriander
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
• 1-2 tablespoons minced parsley
• 1 small minced onion or 2 finely sliced scallions
• 1/4 teaspoon or so of chili powder if you like
• 2 minced cloves garlic or shallots, if you like
• A tablespoon or so of minced black olives is also nice, if you like

Topping:

• A small container of plain yogurt (or sour cream if you prefer, or a mix of the two)
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• Either a tablespoon of minced cilandro OR dill
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• Dash of black pepper if you like
• 1-2 finely minced garlic cloves if you like
• Some grated lemon peel is nice too
• Chopped chives are cool.

Directions

1. Slice leeks length-wise. Rinse or soak a bit to loosen dirt. Then finely slice width-wise, wash well and let drain.
2. You can either cook the leeks in boiling water until they soften up- which takes about 3 or so minutes, or sauté them until softened in a bit of olive oil. We happen to be partial to the latter method.
3. Add the leeks to your remaining ingredients, and mix up well.
4. Batter is a test-as-you-go science. So run a test fritter and then adjust your ratio of meal/crumbs to egg (and other ingredient amounts) as needed.
5. Heat up about q 1/4"/1/2 cm. or so depth of canola oil in a frying pan
6. When you place the batter in the pan for each fritter, flatten your spoonful down.
7. Drain on paper-toweled plate.
8. Serve hot and offer topping :)

That Handy Tabouli

A very handy and healthy dish to keep around in general. Tabouli

Ingredients

• 1 cup burgul (aka cracked wheat)
• 1 cup boiling water
• 4 to 5 tablespoons olive oil (really to taste preference)
• 3 to 5 tablespoons lemon juice (really to taste preference) or squeeze fresh
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 small minced onion or 4-6 sliced scallions (aka green onion)
• 1/2 to 1 1/2 cups chopped fresh parsley, varies by personal preference
• 1 to 4 tablespoons dried or fresh, finely minced mint, if you like
• Add finely chopped tomatoes and cucumbers if you like.

Directions

1. Boil the water, pour into a bowl with the burgul and cover tightly for about 30 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, clean and chop everything else.
3. The amounts on everything vary widely in proportion of wheat to veg, (especially are you going for a parsley salad with some tabouli, or a tabouli salad with some parsley, etc…). Some love it with mint, and some use none whatsoever or a few tablespoons of finely chopped cilandro instead (we happen to be over-the-top fans of the mint version).
4. The oil amount usually should be add a bit at a time and mix. It's right when the tabouli glistens a little. Lemon juice varies to taste, like salt and pepper. Some (like us) like a fair amount of lemon, others a little less.

If you ever have any left over, it can stay okay in the fridge for a couple days, though better if you add tomatoes and cucumbers fresh and last minute as needed when serving. A popular Levant dish, tabouli is a very handy and healthy thing to keep around in general, throw in with salad greens, nosh on, make a quick meal out of at home or to take along with you…

"A String of Good Fortune" - Szechuan Green Beans

See Worthwhile Information section on a Rosh HaShana seder and/or creating new symbols bearing wishes for the coming year. In any event, string beans are such a healthy veggie, by that measure alone they already are bringing you good fortune. And this is a fairly quick dish that also happens to be too easy to get hooked on.

Make this healthy veggie your new wish-bearing symbol

Ingredients

• 2 kg./1 lb. green beans
• 2- 5 cloves garlic, minced fine (we are seriously into garlic, especially in this dish,
• but you may prefer less)
• 1 tablespoon fresh ginger root, minced fine
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon Chinese sesame oil
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar
• 2-3 scallions, sliced thin (some use only the white part
• but we like using all of it)
• A bit of chili paste, or powder or fresh, to taste preference.
• Salt and black pepper to taste
• Some sesame seeds, if you like.
• Or some chopped peanuts to add after cooking
• 1.2 tablespoons peanut oil or canola to sauté with

Directions

1. Slice beans on a diagonal into 2 to 3 pieces.
2. Heat oil in skillet.
3. Soften and brown the beans (+/- 5 minutes).
4. Add remaining ingredients, stir and sauté until done- e.g. the beans will be browner, the garlic,scallions etc. translucent, and the sauce taking on that thicker coating-type consistency.
5. If you use sesame seeds, you can add them in with the other ingredients when cooking. If you use chopped peanuts, simply add afterwards.

One Very Popular Apple Cake

Ingredients

Batter:

• 170 grams/6 ounces butter
• 1 1/2 teaspoons grated lemon peel
• 3 eggs
• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• about 8 or so Granny Smith apples

Topping:

• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 – 1/2 cup walnuts (unless you follow the no-nut custom for the new year)

Directions

Use a round baking pan with a ~10" diameter (~ 3" high) or ~9" x 11" (~2" high), etc.
Grease lightly with vegetable oil.

1. Take out butter ahead of time to soften somewhat.
2. Preheat oven at 175 C. / 350 F.
3. Prepare and place to side:
   - Walnuts - chop, or place in a bag. Place a towel on your table/work-surface.
      Hold bag shut and bang with a small hammer :) .
   - Apples- Peel and core, slice thin.
   - Beat eggs.
4. In a large bowl, smoosh your butter out with a large spoon. Add sugar, cream together. Add the lemon peel, then slowly add the eggs.
5. In separate bowl, mix your flour, baking powder and salt.
6. Add the dry stuff slowly- a bit, then mix well, some more and mix, etc. (the author never uses a mixer for this, only a large spoon). Make a line with spoon in batter to divide in half.
7. In spoonfuls spread pretty equally around the baking pan, put in half your batter. Spread it with spoon around the bottom to get some coverage, although it won't be perfect. Don't worry- the batter will "know what to do" in the oven.
8. Over this place covering layers of apple slices (usually this works out to 2-4 layers).
9. The tougher part is the second part of the batter- since you can't really spread it like on the bottom. Try equidistant dollops of batter over the apples. Again, the batter should do fine in the oven.
10. Mix your topping and sprinkle equally over the whole cake.
11. Bake for 35-40 minutes (check with toothpick).

(Ok, this is no "heart-smart" recipe, but it is a devastatingly good cake, and we actually always seem to need to make two at a shot. Please do not try this one with parve margarine. It really is a butter cake, so save it for a dairy meal, coffee, etc. This batter also works well with plums, peaches, apricots, etc. We've even done sections of different fruits, including kiwi. But we still like apple the most.)

Doda Rae's Coffee Honey Cake

Have a happy, sweet new year!

(Doda means "Aunt" in Hebrew).

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup honey
• 1/2 cup oil
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 2 beaten eggs
• 1/2 cup coffee (better on the strong side)
• 2 cups flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 small can of crushed pineapple
• 1/4 cup raisins
• 1/4 cup chopped walnuts (unless you follow the no-nut custom for the new year)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 175 C. / 350 F. (or slightly less). Grease and lightly flour pan (we like loaf pans for this one).
2. You can use a mixer for this one :)
3. In large bowl, mix oil, sugar, honey, cinnamon and eggs.
4. Mix dry ingredients in separate bowl and then add slowly a little at a time into large bowl with mixer.
5. Fold in pineapple, raisins and walnuts.
6. Bake for 3/4-1 hour.