Some people make challah every Shabbos, but I am not one of them. Challah is a huge deal for me. It’s just such a mess and between the kneading, rising and shaping, it’s a whole day affair. That’s why, I make challah once a year. You got it. Just once. My yearly challah baking happens a few weeks before Rosh Hashanah. I whip up lots of sweet varieties, and pack the freezer with enough sweet bread to last us throughout the chagim. My favorite Rosh Hashanah flavors are sweet crumb and marzipan, but I also make some raisin, cinnamon, honey-glazed and of course, chocolate chip. I always make a few za’atar loaves, since it’s my favorite spice of all time.
Now I love sweet challah, but I don’t love dipping it into savory dips. Chocolate chips and garlic just don’t work for me, so I started to make sweet dips to go along with the sweet challah variations. It’s such a fun change from the typical savory dips that we eat during the year, and it makes the Rosh Hashanah meal even more sweet and special.
Now that you have your challah and dips set, what about the other food? I know it’s crunch time, so I put together my (tentative) Rosh Hashanah menu to give you some inspiration!
Sunday Night:
homemade honey challah with assorted toppings
sweet Challah dips
salmon en croute
simanim salad (recipe variation in the video)
roasted butternut and apple soup
honey roasted zaatar chicken
saffron rice
braised leeks
parsnip honey bundt cake with mulled apple cider
Monday:
honey challah with assorted toppings
sweet Challah dips
breaded gefilte fish
pomegranate coleslaw
roasted beet salad
tzimmes roast
lokshin and cabbage
braised leeks
honey hasselback baked apples with ice cream (minus the brie)
(continued below)
Monday Night:
assorted new fruits
honey challah with assorted toppings
sweet Challah dips
simanim ceviche
rainbow slaw
whole roasted chicken
honey mustard roasted potatoes
sauteed beet greens
mini pumpkin pies (I use this filling in mini pie shells)
parsnip honey bundt cake with mulled apple cider
Tuesday:
honey challah with assorted toppings
sweet Challah dips
fig salmon
roasted eggplants with tahini & pomegranate seeds
arugula waldorf salad
pomegranate molasses roast
mini pumpkin pies (I use this filling in mini pie shells)
cranberry green beans
sticky date pudding
What great dishes are you making for Rosh Hashanah? Share them with me in the comments below!
Halva Dip
1/2 cup tahini paste
1/4 cup silan (date honey)
3 tbsp water
1/4 tsp cinnamon
pinch of sea salt
Add all ingredients to a bowl and whisk until emulsified. If the mixture is too thick, add a bit more water until desired consistency is reached.
VARIATION: for chocolate halva dip, stir in some melted chocolate.
SUBSTITUTE: if you can’t find silan, you may use honey instead.
Pumpkin Dip
1 15oz. can pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling)
1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
3 tbsp maple syrup
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp nutmeg
Pinch of cloves
Pinch of sea salt
Add all the ingredients to a pot and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
VARIATION: Use roasted butternut squash instead of pumpkin.
Beet Hummus
1 15oz. can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 medium beet, roasted
2 tbsp light olive oil
juice of 1/2 lemon
salt and pepper, to taste
honey, to taste
To roast the beet, wrap in foil and roast at 400 degrees until fork-tender, about one hour. Set aside to cool.
Peel the beet and roughly chop. Add to a food processor with the chickpeas, olive oil, lemon juice, salt, pepper and honey and puree until smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Taste and adjust seasoning, if necessary. If needed, add additional oil to adjust consistency.
QUICK & EASY: blend store-bought hummus with a roasted beet (will taste more savory).
Related Recipes:
Looks like delicious , I want to try make at home. thanks for share recipe
That halva dip looks AMAZING! I’m drooling just looking at your photos…
I also only bake challah once a year, although I’m thinking of making it a monthly habit. Maybe. Now that my daughter is at school full time I really have no excuse not to ;-)
I’m glad to see that I’m not the only one!
Delicious looking stuff, as usual. Menus are so helpful to me. Very much appreciated. Would you be so kind as to share with me what’s in your roasted beet salad? I know beets are one of the simanim and I’d love a good way to prepare them. Thanks a bunch and a happy, sweet new year to you and your family!!
Hi Aviva. I put mixed greens, beets (a mix of golden, red and chioggia), citrus (orange and/or grapefruit). The dressing is grapeseed oil, white wine vinegar, juice from the citrus, honey, shallot, salt and pepper.
This sounds delicious. I’d love the recipe for the simanim ceviche please!!!
It’s Naomi Nachman’s recipe from this month’s issue of FYI Magazine. Email me at busyinbrooklyn@gmail.com and I’ll send you a photo of the recipe.
Can I have the recipe for the roasted eggplants with tahini & pomegranate seeds arugula waldorf salad you have on your menu…Pls, sounds so good!
Cut mini eggplants in half lengthwise and place flesh-side-down on a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and season with kosher salt. Broil until the flesh is soft and the skin is charred, abut 20 minutes. When ready to serve, place on a platter, flesh-side-up. Drizzle with tahini, pomegranate seeds and fresh parsley. For the waldorf, I put arugula, julienned carrots, red and green apples, hearts of palm and raisins or craisins.
Yum! How long would these last in the fridge?
At least a week or so.
Simanim cheviche please!
It’s Naomi Nachman’s recipe from this month’s issue of FYI Magazine. Email me at busyinbrooklyn@gmail.com and I’ll send you a photo of the recipe.
Do I have to use date honey for the halva dip? Is there a substitute I can use? I have blackberry honey lol
You can also use regular honey.
I am not ashamed to say that I lifted quite a lot from your menus for my own family’s Rosh Hashanah meals. The biggest hit was using your marzipan challah suggestion to make my own variant using Solo Almond paste and a little sprinkled sugar. (I didn’t follow the link – sorry!) For that suggestion alone I am truly grateful. Definitely a new family tradition!
Also tasty – honey mustard potatoes, a variant on your fig salmon and broccoli rabe (inspired by your beet greens)
We tried the halva dip because I adore halva. It just didn’t hit the right note for us, which was kind of a bummer because it sounded so awesome!
I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipes. I also make my marzipan challah the quick and easy way, suing the solo almond paste. It’s my favorite! Sorry the tahini didn’t work out for you!
These dips look heaven and can’t wait to try them!! I want to make enough for each meal through YT. how much does each dip make? And if I’m having 10/12 adults each meal should I double or triple the recipe? Thanks so much!
Hey Gittel, the halva dips makes about a cup, the pumpkin about 2 cups, and the hummus about 1 1/2 cups. I hope this helps!
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