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Sept. 22, 2006
Delectable holiday offerings
Make a great Rosh Hashanah meal without getting all verklempt.
PAM REISS
Every year for the High Holidays, Jews across the world prepare
feasts for their friends and families. Many of these cooks stress
themselves out and struggle to create spectacular meals to impress
their guests. I prefer to find a few good recipes people will enjoy
that won't mean days spent in the kitchen for me.
The Cornish hen recipe is perfect for Rosh Hashanah – it's
special enough to make it a great holiday dish, and the use of berries,
orange juice and honey add just enough new year sweetness to the
dish. Because the Cornish is slightly sweet, I opted not to do a
sweet kugel, but the mushroom and onion kugel that I've loved since
childhood. The sweet potatoes are an easy addition to the menu.
Serve with a salad and some cooked vegetables and you have a wonderful
holiday menu.
I've also included some of my favorite Rosh Hashanah desserts.
They're not too fancy, but they're delicious and easy to bake. Both
cakes can be baked at least one day in advance – just wrap
them well in plastic wrap to keep them moist.
STUFFED CORNISH GAME HEN WITH ORANGE BERRY SAUCE
This recipe's end result seems more complicated than the recipe
really is. It's easy to prepare, but it will impress your guests.
Dried blueberries can be hard to find – replace them with more
dried cranberries or dried cherries if you prefer.
2 Cornish game hens (1 1/2 lbs. each) – cut in half, salt
and pepper
Stuffing
1 medium shallot – peeled and finely chopped
1 small celery stalk – finely diced
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 large garlic clove – crushed
1 tbsp. dried blueberries
1 tbsp. dried cranberries
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1 tsp. fresh thyme leaves
3/4 cup cooked wild rice
Sauce
1 medium shallot – peeled and finely chopped
1 tbsp. olive oil
1/4 cup dried blueberries
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1 cup orange juice
1/4 cup honey
1/2 cup water – plus 2 tbsp.
1 tsp. orange zest
1 tbsp. cornstarch
Clean, wash and dry the Cornish hens. Sprinkle both sides with salt
and pepper, place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and
set aside while you make the stuffing.
For the stuffing: Over medium heat, sweat the shallot and
celery in olive oil until wilted, about three minutes. Add the garlic
and cook another 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Place the wilted
vegetables in a small mixing bowl and add the dried berries, salt,
pepper, thyme and wild rice. (If using raw wild rice, cook following
package instructions before you start the stuffing. I prefer to
use canned wild rice – just make sure you rinse it well before
using.) Mix everything together.
For each Cornish half, slip your index finger under the skin (the
easiest way to do this is to slip it under the skin on the breast,
where it was cut when the bird was cut in half). Gently pull the
skin away from the meat in the breast area and over the leg. Using
your fingers, stuff one quarter of the stuffing mixture under the
skin of each half bird, carefully spreading it so that it's in an
even layer. After all four halves have been stuffed, place the tray
of Cornish in a preheated 400 degree Fahrenheit oven. Roast for
40-50 minutes, or until the juices run clear when you insert the
point of a knife into the leg joint. Remove from the oven and let
rest, loosely covered with foil until you're ready to serve it (no
more than 10 minutes).
For the sauce: While the hens are roasting, prepare the sauce.
Over medium heat, sauté the shallot in olive oil until wilted,
2-3 minutes. Add the berries, orange juice, honey, half cup water
and orange zest, turn the heat up to high and bring to a simmer.
Simmer the sauce for 5-7 minutes, until the berries have plumped
up and the liquid has reduced slightly. In a small bowl, whisk together
the remaining 2 tablespoons of water and the cornstarch. Whisk this
mixture into the hot sauce and continue to cook another 1-2 minutes,
until the sauce has thickened. Ladle the sauce on top of the cooked
hens. Serves four.
MUSHROOM AND ONION KUGEL
This simple recipe was passed down from my grandmother, to my mother
and then to me. It's still one of my favorite items on the holiday
table. Though it remains very close to the dish I ate growing up,
I've made just a couple of changes. I've upped the amount of mushrooms
and rather than using all button mushrooms, I now use an assortment.
Use a combination of button, portabella, oyster, shiitake, or any
other mushrooms you like. Another difference is that rather than
slicing them paper-thin so that they melt into the kugel, I leave
them chunkier so they're really the star of the dish. The chives
were added to give just a touch of freshness to the kugel.
12 oz. egg noodles – wide
1 medium red onion – peeled and chopped
3 tbsp. olive oil
1 1/2 lbs. mushrooms – assorted, sliced 1/4" thick
1 tsp. kosher salt – plus more to taste
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
3 large eggs
1/2 cup chives – finely chopped
Cook the noodles according to the package instructions. Make sure
not to overcook them and drain them immediately. Pour the drained
noodles into a large mixing bowl.
In a large skillet over medium-high, sauté the onions in
olive oil for two minutes, or until they just begin to wilt. Add
the mushrooms, salt and pepper and continue to cook until all of
the mushrooms are cooked through and have released some of their
juices. This should take about 10 minutes. Add the mushrooms and
liquid to the noodles and mix thoroughly.
Taste the noodle/mushroom mixture to check for seasoning. It will
probably need some more salt. When you're happy with the flavor,
allow it to cool for a few minutes. Then add the flour and eggs,
incorporating them into the mix. Stir in the chives.
Pour the mixture into a greased 9-by-13-inch baking pan and bake
at 375 degree Fahrenheit for 45-50 minutes, until the top has turned
a dark, golden brown and the kugel has firmed up. Serves eight.
PUREED SWEET POTATOES
This is an easy recipe. Though the prep time is minimal, it does
take a while to cook the sweet potatoes – but all you have
to do is pop them in the oven and leave them until they're tender.
2 lbs. sweet potatoes – washed and dried
6 tbsp. parve margarine – softened
3 tbsp. brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1/8 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. allspice
After washing and drying the sweet potatoes, wrap each one in a
couple of layers of aluminum foil. Place them on a baking sheet
and into a 375 degree Fahrenheit oven for 1 to 2 hours. Sweet potatoes
come in all shapes and sizes – so you have to start checking
them after 1 hour. When they are soft all the way through, they
are ready.
Remove the soft potatoes from the oven and unwrap them. Carefully
peel them, using a paring knife. This needs to be done while they're
hot. Immediately put the peeled potatoes through a ricer or use
a potato masher to mash them until smooth.
Add the margarine and seasonings and mix thoroughly. Check for seasoning
and serve immediately. If you prep them ahead of time, just keep
them in a microwave safe bowl, covered in plastic wrap – then
warm them before serving. Serves six.
APPLE HONEY CAKE
What's better for Rosh Hashanah than apples and honey? And, adding
apples to the cake keeps it nice and moist.
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tbsp. kosher salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. allspice
1/4 tsp. cloves
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1 cup honey
3/4 cup tea, brewed
3/4 cup orange juice
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup canola oil
3 large eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
2 medium Fuji apples – peeled, cored and diced (approximately
2 cups of diced apple)
Sift together the flour, baking powder and soda, salt, cinnamon,
allspice and ginger. I like to use a whisk to combine all of these
ingredients.
In another bowl, combine the hot tea, honey and orange juice.
Using either a stand or hand mixer, cream together the oil and white
and brown sugars. Add the eggs, mixing them in one at a time. Add
the vanilla and orange zest.
Add one third of the liquid and mix on low speed. Add one third
of the flour mixture and mix on low speed until just combined. Repeat
until all the wet and dry ingredients have been incorporated. Fold
the diced apple into the batter. Pour into a bundt pan that has
been greased and lightly floured. Bake at 350 degree Fahrenheit
for one hour, or until a skewer inserted comes out clean. Let cool
completely and then turn the pan over onto a serving plate.
SPICED PLUM CAKE
Prune plums are one of my favorite fruits and they just happen to
be at their best in the early fall. They work well with the spices
in the cake batter. This is a great cake that's not too sweet to
serve after a large dinner.
1 lb. prune plums, cut in half, pits removed
1 tbsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
Batter
1/2 cup butter or margarine – softened
3/4 cup sugar
3 large eggs
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. allspice
1/8 tsp. cloves
1 tsp. vanilla
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup orange juice
Grease a 9" cake pan (with at least 2" sides), line with
parchment paper and grease the paper. Set aside. Toss the plum halves
with 1 tablespoon of sugar and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon. Place the
plums in a single layer, cut side up in the bottom of the cake pan.
Set aside.
Using an electric mixer, cream the margarine or butter and the sugar.
Continue to mix on low and add the eggs, one at a time, until well
combined. Add the salt, baking powder, cinnamon, allspice, cloves
and vanilla and mix until everything has been evenly distributed.
Add one third of the orange juice and mix on low speed. Add one
third of the flour and continue mixing on low until just
combined. Repeat until all of the juice and flour have been incorporated.
Pour the batter over the plums and use a spatula to spread it out
evenly.
Bake in a preheated 350 degree Fahrenheit oven for 45 minutes, or
until a skewer inserted comes out clean. Cool and carefully invert
onto a serving dish.
BAKED APPLES
A dressed-up baked apple makes a great dessert for a holiday lunch.
If you're serving a dairy meal, some vanilla ice cream would be
wonderful with the apples – but they are also great on their
own!
1/4 cup butter or margarine – softened
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 cup toasted slivered almonds
1/2 cup oats – quick
1/4 cup dried cranberries
4 medium Fuji apples – or similar
In a small mixing bowl, use a fork or your fingers to combine all
of the ingredients (except for the apples).
Wash and dry the apples. Use a small paring knife or an apple corer
to remove the core from each of the apples, so there is a hole going
right through each.
Use your hands and stuff each of the apples with the filling –
packing it in. Place the stuffed apples into a small baking pan
that's been lightly greased.
Place in a preheated 350 degree Fahrenheit oven and bake for an
hour, or until the apples are fork tender. Serve warm or allow to
cool. Serves four.
Pam Reiss lives in Winnipeg and is the author of Soup
– A Kosher Collection.
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