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Creamiest Tahini
½ cup tahini paste, stir if separated
1 clove garlic
juice of ½ lemon
¼ tsp cumin
1/3-1/2 cup ice water
kosher salt, to taste
Method:
Whisk ingredients together in a bowl to get the creamiest Tahini you’ve ever had.
Related Recipes:
Tahini Rice Cakes
Tahini Scones
Tahini Frappuccino
Tahini Date Smoothie
Roasted Cauliflower with Dates & Smashed Olives, OH EM GEE!!
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1 head cauliflower, cut into bite-size florets
8 medjool dates, pitted and quartered lengthwise
3/4 cup canned chickpeas, drained, rinsed, patted dry
1/2 cup Kalamata olives smashed and pitted
Two cloves garlic, grated on a microplane
Zest of 1 Meyer lemon (or 1/2 regular lemon)
2 tablespoons zaatar
3 tbsp Extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt, to taste
Fresh parsley, chopped, for garnish
Method:
Preheat oven to 425°. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, add all the ingredients and toss to coat evenly. Roast for 25 minutes until crispy. Garnish with parsley.
Related Recipes:
Roasted Smashed Potatoes with Leeks
Spicy Roasted Carrot Fries
Roasted Mini Peppers
I’ve been working on so many recipes for #yeswecanchag initiative including this sheet pan chicken and tzimmes, this 6-spice Moroccan stoup, and this Israeli couscous with beef. My fellow bloggers and I also got together and created THIS MENU of bonus budget-friendly recipes! I hope these recipes help you scale down your cooking this Chag while still bringing showstopping dishes to the table!
A few weeks ago, I traveled to Denver, Colorado to host a cheese-board-building demonstration at The Jewish Experience 20th annual wine & cheese event. The event was set up beautifully, and they even served my Mile High S’mores Pie in the Mile High City to celebrate, how fun?!
Since the demonstration was late in the week, I stayed in Denver for Shabbos at the home of Rabbi & Mrs. Zeldy Engel of Chabad Cherry Creek. Zeldy was so warm and welcoming, and she happily took me around the neighborhood hot spots, even driving out to Red Rocks for a breathtaking and scenic view of the mountains.
Zeldy prepared many of my cookbook recipes from her well-worn copy of Millennial Kosher and her sister’s recipe for Moroccan fish that smelled like actual heaven. But the star of the Friday night meal was PLOV. Zeldy hosted two Bucharian sisters, Aliza and Sharona, who came over earlier in the day to prepare this labor-intensive dish. By Friday night, the smell was intoxicating, and the huge pot was painstakingly transferred onto a huge round platter in middle of the table. Not only was the dish beautiful, it’s flavor was absolutely mindblowing – savory, spicy, with a hint of sweetness from the carrots and heat from the jalapenos. As I was eating it, my mind started wandering in a million directions on how I could “trash it up” (as I like to say!) and put my own spin on it. Wish Rosh Hashanah approaching, I thought it would be a great idea to incorporate some of the simanim, or symoblic foods that we eat on Rosh Hashanah, so I replaced the onions with leeks, and the jalapenos with apples, and finished it off with pomegranate seeds for a colorful one-pot-meal worthy of your holiday table. Yes. We. Can. Chag!
Simanim Plov
6 tablespoons light olive oil
3 large leeks, white and pale green parts only, sliced
2 1/2 lbs. beef stew, short ribs, flanken or cut of choice
salt and pepper, to taste
3 cups rice
2 lbs. carrots, julienned into thick strips
3 tbsp cumin seeds (may sub with ground cumin)
1 cup raisins
1 head garlic
5 small apples
2-3 whole jalapenos, optional
2 tsp kosher salt
pomegranate seeds and parsley, for garnish
In a large nonstick pot (see note), heat the oil. Add the leeks and sauté until deeply caramelized, about 30 minutes. Add the beef, season with salt and pepper, and sear on all sides, about 25 minutes. Cover the meat completely with water, bring the mixture to a simmer, cover the pot and cook for 2 hours, until the meat is very soft and tender. Add more water, if needed so that the meat remains submerged.
When the meat is done cooking, place the rice in a large bowl and cover with boiling water by 2 inches. Cover the rice and set aside to soak.
Spread the carrots around over the meat in an even layer. Sprinkle with cumin seeds and raisins. Sprinkle with ground pepper. Nestle the head of garlic, apples and jalapenos, if using, into the mixture.
Strain the rice in a colander and return it to the bowl. Mix with 2 teaspoons of salt and add the rice to the pot so that it full covers the layers in one even coating. Using the back of a wooden spoon, poke deep holes (about 10 of them) into the rice so that steam and liquid can escape and cover the pot. Cook over medium-high heat for the first 20 minutes, stirring the layer of rice every 10 minutes and poking holes into it (only the rice, don’t stir the layers beneath it), replacing the lid immediately after stirring. Lower the heat to medium and continue to cook the rice for another 10-20 minutes, stirring again every 10 minutes until it’s fluffy and cooked through. If there doesn’t seem to be enough liquid in the pot, and an additional cup or two, as needed.
Remove the lid and cover the pot with a kitchen towel, and cover again with the lid to steam for 10 minutes.
When ready to serve, transfer the rice onto a large platter, place the apples around the rice, then mix the remaining ingredients in the pot so they are full incorporated. Spoon the mixture over the rice and garnish with pomegranate seeds and parsley.
NOTES:
It’s best to use a cheap nonstick pot and not a heavy dutch oven when making plov.
The meat portion can be prepared the night before. Refrigerate overnight, then bring to a simmer, making sure that the meat is generously covered with liquid, adding more if necessary. Then continue as above.
Related Recipes:
hummus simanim
simanim fritto misto
simanim pasta
simanim holiday salad
Times are tough. With rising food costs and growing expenses, shopping and preparing for countless meals and guests for the holidays is more difficult than ever. I’m on a mission to help! Together, with some pre-planning, smart thinking and budgeting, YES. WE. CAN. CHAG. L’chaim!
I started the hashtag #YesWeCanChag over on Instagram as a community initiative to help us all create delicious and holiday-worthy dishes this Chag on a budget. I believe that the High Holidays should be a time of reflection, introspection, joy and love. They shouldn’t have to be a time of stress – and it all starts with perspective. Why are we here? We’re here to bring our family and friends around the table to celebrate our traditions and heritage. It doesn’t matter what we serve, so much as how we serve it. Set a beautiful table. Set a beautiful tone (relax!). Make everyone comfortable. The food is secondary. Yes. You read that right.
So, realistically, how can one budget when there is meal after meal, night after night?
For starters, my fellow bloggers and I have put together a menu of budget-friendly recipes which you can download here!
sushi nachos, Millennial Kosher, page 68
COMPOSE A BALANCED MENU
First things first, do away with the 3-4 course meals. No one can eat that much. It’s costly. It’s hard on the cook….There are so many reasons to scale back. Instead of a three course dinner with fish, multiple salads and dips, assorted proteins and sides and then dessert, serve a balanced meal without the fuss. To do this, imagine you’re in a restaurant – you order an appetizer – one or two at most, and then your main, which comes with a protein and two sides – then dessert. This is how you serve! So lets plan a holiday meal:
APPETIZER (choose 1-2): salad, assorted dips, hummus with toppings, sushi/tartare/crudo, nachos, tacos
ENTREE (choose 1 main, 1 starch and 1 vegetable or 1 main, 2 vegetables) : main (fish, chicken, meat), starch (rice, pasta, potatoes, couscous, farro), vegetable (cauliflower, asparagus, green beans, brussels sprouts, salad)
DESSERT: (choose 1) mousse, cake, cookies, fruit, sorbet, ice cream
fall harvest roast, Millennial Kosher, page 182
CHOOSE BUDGET FRIENDLY CUTS OF MEAT
Instead of following a recipe for a specific cut of meat, shop what’s on sale. Many cuts are interchangeable! The important thing to understand about how to cook meat is whether you DRY ROAST or BRAISE it. Tough cuts of meat require low and slow cooking in a braising liquid to help tenderize the meat, until it’s soft and falls apart. More tender cuts are cooked at high temperatures for a shorter period of time to firm up the muscles fibers. They’re usually served rare or medium rare, with a pink interior and a chewy texture. Therefore, if you are following a recipe for a braised brisket, but brisket is $21.99/lb., you can substitute a chuck eye roast at $15.99/lb. for any braised recipe. When it comes to braised meat – the simple rule to follow is that it’s ready when it’s fork tender – so put your fork in it and if it feels soft as butter, then it’s ready! If it’s still tough, keep cooking it for another hour, and check again. If you’re a meat novice, you’re definitely safer going with a braising cut, whereas dry roasted meat need more precision so as not to overcook (and a meat thermometer is recommended). It’s hard to overcook braised beef – 325 degrees for 3 hours is a good rule of thumb for a 3 lb. roast. Tougher cuts like 2nd cut brisket can sometimes use an additional hour or two.
Read my Guide to Purchasing and Preparing Kosher Meat for more information about different cuts of kosher meat. If you are unsure, ask your butcher if it’s a “braising” or “dry-roasting” cut.
Another great way to make the most of cheaper cuts of meat is to cook it in an instant pot/pressure cooker or to cook it sous vide – which tenderizes cheaper cuts.
Aside for purchasing budget friendly cuts, you can also get more bang for your buck by braising meat until pull-apart tender and then serving it in tacos, on a flatbread, or over nachos to stretch a small roast to serve many!
Additionally, you can get creative with the most budget-friendly cut – ground beef – and turn it into a festive appetizer or entrée. Some holiday-worthy ideas include: meatballs, single-serve empanadas or meat knishes with a mushroom sauce, spaghetti Bolognese, stuffed cabbage, shepherd’s pie, kofta kebabs, beef flatbread, moussaka.
THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX (OR BARN!)
You don’t need to make meat the star of every meal! Consider serving a dairy meal with shakshuka, frittata, quiche and a cheese board or serve a classic chicken paprikash with dumplings! You can do falafel or sushi in the sukkah. Themed meals are super fun over the course of the holiday.
ramen bowls, Millennial Kosher, page 182
MAKE IT A ONE-DISH-MEAL
With so many holiday meals, you don’t have to be so formal. Consider a one-dish-meal one night in the sukkah – like build your own ramen bowls (you can even use leftovers here!), Yemenite chicken soup with freshly warmed pita, some schug and hummus, Unstuffed cabbage with little meatballs or a hearty mushroom barley soup.
REPURPOSE YOUR LEFTOVERS
With meal after meal during the Chagim, waste not! use leftovers to your advantage. Here are some ideas:
•leftover roast can become: nachos, tacos, bourekas, pulled beef pizza/flatbread, shepherd’s pie, pulled beef sandwiches, eggrolls, wontons
•leftover chicken can become: chicken pot pie, chicken tortilla soup, chicken tacos, ramen bowls, chicken Caesar salad, Pad Thai, chicken wraps
•leftover fish can become: sushi salad, fish patties, fish tacos, fish nachos, salmon pasta salad, summer rolls
•leftover rice can become: fried rice, rice pancakes, arancini, risotto, tomato rice soup, bibimbap
•leftover pasta can become: pasta salad, kugel, minestrone soup, Asian noodles
•leftover mashed potatoes can become: shepherd’s pie, bourekas, gnocchi
USE THIS NOT THAT
Remember that recipes are just guidelines, you don’t need to follow them to a T (unless you’re baking, then it’s another story!). Substitute cheaper ingredients when you can. For instance, instead of getting sushi grade tuna for sushi salad, consider using kani (mock crab sticks). Use barley instead of farro or apples instead of figs and sliced almonds instead of pine nuts.
SHOP ON SALE
Be flexible with your menu and buy what’s on special. Most types of white fish are interchangeable in recipes, and as mentioned above, you can substitute many cuts of meat in a recipe as well.
BUY SEASONAL PRODUCE
Seasonal produce is cheaper because it’s abundant and more local (when produce is out of season, they need to ship it in from tropical climates, making it more expensive).
HOST A POTLUCK
Invite over some neighbors or friends and have them bring a dish or two! Everybody wins!
Got more ideas for cooking Yom Tov on a budget? Comment with them below!
You asked for it, you got it. The most amazing sweet, spicy and buttery confit! By way of @chanablumesphoto via @wukogals !
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Jalapeño Date Confit
1 jalapeño, sliced
1 leek, white and pale green parts
1/2 cup peeked garlic cloves
12 pitted medjool dates, halved
Kosher salt, to taste
Extra virgin olive oil
Method:
Preheat oven to 350°
Cut the leeks in half lengthwise, rinse between the layers to remove any dirt. Slice. Add to a non-reactive baking dish with the remaining ingredients with enough olive oil to mostly cover everything.
Bake, uncovered for 45 minutes or until everything is soft and buttery and starting to brown.
Slather on sourdough and enjoy!
Related Recipes:
