Category: Rosh Hashanah

Tu B’Shvat Tahdig

I’ve been wanting to nail tahdig for the longest time. That crispy-crusted rice studded with dried fruit and nuts…. it’s everything I want in a dish – crispy, fragrant, comforting…. the perfect show stopper! When I thought about what to make for Tu B’shvat to incorporate the Sheva Minim (the seven species from the Land of Israel), it came down to THIS! How else to celebrate the fruit of the tree than with a beautiful mound of fruit-studded golden rice, amiright??

So we got 5 out of 7 minim: olives (oil+olives!), figs, dates (silan), grapes (raisins), and pomegranate! And if you want to incorporate all 7, you can make this recipe with a mix of wheat berries and barley and serve as a pilaf instead of a tahdig!

Happy Tu B’shvat

Tu B’shvat Tahdig

1/3 cup olive
1 large onion, thinly sliced into half moons
1 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp cardamom
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup sliced dried figs
1/2 cups sliced olives (I used Castelveltrano)
1/2 cup golden raisins
2 cups rinsed basmati rice
Zest and juice of 1 orange
2 tsp kosher salt
3 1/2 cups water
1 tbsp silan
For garnish: chopped parsley, pomegranate seeds, toasted sliced almonds

Method:

In a nonstick skillet (this is important!!), heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions and saute until golden. Add the turmeric, cardamom and cinnamon and stir until fragrant. Add the figs, olives and raisins and stir to incorporate. Add in rice, orange zest and juice, salt, water and silan and mix until combined. Cook the rice, uncovered, until the rice is level with the water. reduce the heat to a low simmer and cover the pot. Cook for 45 minutes.

Cool for a few minutes and then flip onto a serving platter. Garnish with parsley, pomegranate and almonds.

Related Recipes:

pecan pie date bark
turkey wrapped beef stuffed dates
feta stuffed dates with crispy kataifi
honey roasted zaatar chicken
dried fruit brie bites
Tu Bshvat truffles

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Cruciferous Crunch Chicken Salad

Gimme all the cruciferous veg! Maybe it’s the crunch, maybe it’s the color, but I love everything in the cabbage family – kale, cauliflower, kohlrabi – it’s my jam! Mix it all together and you’ve got a party in your mouth. I made this on the last day of the Chag to use up leftover grilled chicken and the bowl was licked clean (mostly by me!!). So I had to make it again for y’all!

Kale Crunch Salad
YIELD: 6 servings

4 cups kale
2 cups shredded red cabbage
1 kohlrabi, peeled and julienned
1 cup pomegranate seeds
1/4 cup roasted & salted sunflower seeds
2 pieces leftover sumac pargiot (or any chicken)

Dressing:

1/3 cup grapeseed or light olive oil
3 tbsp pomegranate concentrate (see note)
2 tbsp honey
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
2 tbsp fresh squeezed lemon juice
Salt and pepper, to taste

Method:

Spread the kale out on a platter or bowl. Mix the cabbage into the kale. Top with pomegranate seeds, kohlrabi, chicken and sunflower seeds.

In a small bowl, combine dressing ingredients and whisk until thickened.

When ready to serve, toss the salad with the dressing.

NOTE: I used Sadaf pomegranate concentrate which is like molasses, but it doesn’t have added sugar. If using molasses, reduce honey as needed.

Related Recipes:

Kale Crunch Salad
Grilled Chicken Salad with Basil Dressing
Asian Chicken Salad With Clementines
Green Goddess Bissli Chicken Salad
Curry Chicken Salad
Grilled Chicken Salad with Jalapeno Honey Mustard Dressing
Grilled Chicken Fattoush with Za’atar Ranch 

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Chestnut Puree

When it comes to the holidays, I’ll be the first to say, nix the mashed potatoes and serve something DIFFERENT with your brisket! There are so many delicious root vegetables you can puree – to name just a few: parnips, sweet potato, turnip, celery root, butternut squash and carrot! Cruciferous veg like cauliflower and cabbage also make a great puree! And SO MUCH YES to chestnuts – they’ve got lots of starch that blend into the creamiest mash once mixed with some vegetable stock (or heavy cream for dairy puree!). So give this recipe a try. Pairs well with this pomegranate glazed roast and this braised version as well.

Chestnut Puree
YIELD: 2 cups puree

3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 shallots, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
14oz roasted chestnuts (4 3.5oz bags)
2 1/4 cups vegetable stock
Pinch nutmeg
2 bay leaves
Kosher salt, to taste

In a deep skillet, heat the olive oil. Add shallots and garlic and sweat over low heat until translucent. Add the chestnuts,  stock, nutmeg, bay leaves and salt and simmer until the chestnuts soften, about 15 minutes. 

Remove the bay leaves and Transfer to a food processor or Vitamix and blend until creamy. If the mixture is too thick, add more vegetable stock until desired consistency is reached. 

Related Recipes

Chestnut Hummus with Herb Chestnut Oil
Stuffed Dates with Chestnut Cream
How to Roast Chestnuts

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Hot Honey Roasted Cabbage

Roasted cabbage is a staple around here because I pretty much always have a head of cabbage in my fridge and it’s such a an easy method to elevate the humble veg. This honey harissa version is perfect for the holidays and it was a winner at my Shabbos table!

1 head green cabbage, sliced into wedges
1/3 cup honey
2-3 tbsp harissa (depending on spice level you want)
2 cloves garlic, minced
juice and zest of 1/2 lemon
3 tbsp olive oil + more for the pan
kosher salt, to taste

Method:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and drizzle with oil. Lay the cabbage wedges on the tray. In a small bowl, combine the honey, harissa, garlic, lemon zest and juice, olive oil and salt. Brush the mixture over the cabbage, drizzle with more oil and season with salt.

Bake until the cabbage is tender and starts to brown around the edges, about 30 minutes.

ADVANCE PREP: you can make this a day or two in advance and warm up, uncovered, before serving.

Related Recipes

sweet and sour cabbage
Roasted Cabbage Pizza 
Stuffed Cabbage Bolognese
Cabbage Bourekas

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Knafeh Apple Pie

Yes, we’re still on the Dubai chocolate trend, or at least many of us have been, and therefore have kataifi dough in our freezers! Alas, here is the most festive way to use it for the Rosh Hashanah holiday! This idea came to me one night, inspired by the popular Israeli dish, knafeh – a crispy kataifi pie filled with savory melted cheese, doused in a rosewater syrup. It took a couple of rounds of testing to get the ultimate crispy bite, but boy was it worth it! I’ve even got an easier deconstructed version for you (see note)!

Knafeh Apple Pie

16oz. Kataifi pastry, defrosted (see note)
1 cup refined coconut oil, melted
5 apples, peeled, cored and thinly sliced
2 tbsp lemon juice
½ cup brown sugar
1 ½ tsp cinnamon
½ tsp cardamom
Pinch salt
2 tbsp cornstarch
⅓ cup apple cider (or water)
½ cup chopped roasted salted pistachio
Edible rose petals

Honey Syrup
½ cup honey
½ cup water
2 tbsp lemon juice

Toss the apples in the lemon juice immediately after slicing to prevent browning. Add to a large skillet along with the sugar, cinnamon, cardamom and salt. Cook over medium heat, stirring until the apples soften and the juices bubble (cover to speed up the process).

In a small bowl, stir the cornstarch into the apple cider to make a slurry. Add to the skillet and cook, stirring, until the juices thicken and coat the apples. Keep cooking until the liquid looks glossy and clings to the apples.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Brush the bottom of a deep pie dish with coconut oil. Lay down thick strips of the katafi dough along the bottom of the dish (cut them in half if they are too long), allowing the strings to fall over the sides and brush with coconut oil. Spread another layer in the opposite direction until the dish is fully covered and brush with more oil. Fill with the apple filling mixture and fold the overhanging dough over the top of the apples to cover completely. Brush with remaining coconut oil.

Bake for 45 minutes – 1 hour until the dough is deeply golden and caramelized.

While the pie is baking, add the honey, water and lemon juice to a small pot and simmer for 10 minutes until slightly thickened.

When the pie is out of the oven, drizzle the hot syrup evenly over the kataifi in the pie dish. Allow the pie to absorb the honey for 10 minutes and then flip the pie onto a cake stand or serving dish (It helps to do this over a baking sheet in case the syrup drips over!) Garnish with pistachios and rose petals and serve.

NOTES:

I did multiple rounds of testing after preparing my first batch (which you may have watched on Instagram), here are some tips for optimum crispiness:

You’ll need a thicker layer of kataifi dough than seen on the video. Use most or all of the box depending on the size of your dish.

Don’t let the katafi sit in the pie dish longer or it will steam and get soggy. If not serving right away, it’s best not to cover it or the kataifi will soften. If you want to serve warm, you can reheat but do not pour the honey syrup until close to serving time.

Not recommended to freeze or prepare more than a few hours in advance as the kataifi will lose it’s crispiness.

VARIATION: for an easier deconstructed version – chop up the kataifi pastry and mix it with some melted coconut oil. Bake until golden and crispy, stirring every 10 minutes. To serve, place some of the toasted kataifi on the bottom of a dessert cup or bowl, top with sauted apples, more shredded kataifi, pistachios and rose petals.

here’s the deconstructed version!

Related Recipes

Silan Baked Apples with Pistachio Kataifi
Hawaij Apple Crisp with Halva Crumble
Feta Stuffed Dates with Crispy Kataifi
Dubai Chocolate Biscotti

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