Holiday In: It's a good sign

Add meaning to your holiday cooking with recipes that relate to Rosh Hashana traditions.

By JAMIE GELLER
Simanim Salad with Pomegranate Balsamic Dressing (photo credit: Tamar Genger)
Simanim Salad with Pomegranate Balsamic Dressing
(photo credit: Tamar Genger)
I love to incorporate the simanim throughout my menu. The following gorgeous salad is so healthful and refreshing, I wouldn’t just wait for the holidays to make it! Or the date and honey glazed chicken that will sweeten the New Year.
Simanim Salad with Pomegranate Balsamic Dressing Makes 8 to 10 servings
This recipe calls for cooked beets. You can use boiled, canned or roasted (my favorite!).
✔ ⅓ cup pomegranate juice ✔ 3 Tbsp. honey ✔ 3 Tbsp. olive oil ✔ 1 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar ✔ 1 bunch fresh or baby spinach, washed and dried ✔ 1 gala or pink lady apple, cored and thinly sliced ✔ 1 large carrot, peeled and made into ribbons using peeler ✔ 1½ cup quartered cooked beets ✔ ¼ cup pomegranate seeds ✔ Kosher salt ✔ Freshly ground black pepper
In a small bowl, whisk together pomegranate juice, honey, olive oil, and balsamic vinegar. Set aside.
Place spinach on a large platter as the salad base. Artfully arrange apples, carrots and beets on the spinach. Sprinkle with pomegranate seeds. Drizzle the dressing over the top, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Or serve the salad undressed and let your guests add dressing to their own plate.
(Simanim Salad Recipe by Jamie Geller, as published in Joy of Kosher with Jamie Geller Magazine) Ve al Stew with Apr icots and Prunes Makes 6-8 servings Lighter in flavor than a beef stew, this veal dish is perfect for a holiday meal or any time you hanker for a really tasty, no-fuss main course.
✔ 4 Tbsp. olive oil ✔ 2 onions, coarsely chopped or cut into wedges ✔ ¼ cup tomato paste ✔ 900 gr. to 1.4 kg. veal stew meat, cut into 2.5-cm. cubes ✔ 1 tsp. salt ✔ ½ tsp. coarse black pepper ✔ 16 baby carrots, halved lengthwise or 2 large carrots sliced ✔ 3 cups water ✔ ¾ cup dried apricots ✔ ¾ cup dried prunes
Heat oil in 4-liter pot over medium heat.
Place onions in pot and sauté for 8-10 minutes or until just beginning to brown. Add tomato paste and stir continuously for 2-3 minutes.
Rinse veal and pat dry. Season with salt and pepper.
Add veal to pot and brown for approximately 10 minutes.
Add carrots and water.
Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 40 minutes.
Add apricots and prunes and continue to simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes or until veal is soft and sauce thickens.
(Recipe by Jamie Geller, Quick & Kosher from The Bride Who Knew Nothing)
Date and Honey Glazed Chicken Thighs Makes 8 servings
Dates in Hebrew are tmarim, a play on the word yitamu “[may our enemies be] destroyed.”
Finished. Yesterday. And you don’t have to be a child to love Winnie-the-Pooh’s “hunny.” The ultimate symbol of sweetness, we consume honey as we pray for a “good sweet year.”
✔ Cooking spray ✔ 1 cup apple juice ✔ 12 pitted dates, coarsely chopped ✔ 6 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped ✔ 4 Tbsp. honey ✔ 4 Tbsp. olive oil ✔ 1 tsp. kosher salt ✔ 8 large bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs, about 1.4 kg.
Preheat oven to 200°. Lightly spray a 22x33 cm. baking dish.
To prepare glaze: In a food processor, combine apple juice, dates, garlic, honey, olive oil and salt. Pulse until fairly smooth.
In a large bowl, combine chicken and glaze. Toss to coat well.
Transfer to the prepared baking dish and bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until chicken reaches 80° internal temperature.
Serve with whole wheat stuffing with leeks. (See recipe below.)
(Recipe by Jamie Geller, as published in Joy of Kosher with Jamie Geller Magazine)
Whole Wheat stuffing with leaks Makes 8 servings
Leeks are a siman for the decimation of our enemies. The Hebrew word for leek, karsi, is similar to the word yikorsu “[may our enemies be] decimated.” Spinach, Swiss chard and beets are also meaningful, as their Arabic or Hebrew translations are reminiscent of the Hebrew word yistalku, “[may our adversaries be] removed.” If you think you see a lot of emphasis on escaping from hostile threats, just think about Jewish history for a minute.
✔ Cooking spray ✔ 2 Tbsp. olive oil ✔ 3 large leeks, white and light green parts only, rinsed well and chopped ✔ 2 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped ✔ 1 cup fresh or baby spinach, rinsed and dried ✔ 6 cups day-old (stale) whole-wheat bread, crust removed and cut into cubes ✔ 1 cup vegetable broth ✔ 2 Tbsp. margarine, melted ✔ 1 tsp. kosher salt ✔ Freshly ground black pepper
Preheat oven to 200°. Lightly spray a 22x33 cm. baking dish.
In a medium sauté pan over medium low heat, heat olive oil and add leeks. Sauté 12 to 15 minutes or until softened and just beginning to turn golden. Add garlic and spinach.
Mix well and remove from heat.
In a large bowl, combine leek mixture, bread cubes, broth, margarine, salt and pepper to taste. Stir to combine. Pour into the prepared baking dish and bake 30 to 40 minutes or until golden brown on top.
(Recipe by Jamie Geller, as published in Joy of Kosher with Jamie Geller Magazine)
Apple Cardam om Tart
✔ 225 gr. frozen puff pastry, defrosted ✔ 2 apples ✔ 1 lemon, juiced ✔ 4 Tbsp. margarine, melted ✔ 4 tsp. sugar ✔ 2 tsp. cardamom Preheat oven to 200°.
Roll out pastry dough on a lightly floured surface until about 0.3 cm. thick. Use a pizza cutter to cut dough into 8 rectangles, approximately 10 x 12.5 cm. Transfer dough to an ungreased baking sheet and prick all over with a fork.
Peel, core and thinly slice the apples and toss in lemon juice to prevent from browning.
Layer 4 to 5 slices of apple on each tart and brush with melted butter.
Combine sugar and cardamom in a small bowl and sprinkle about ½ tsp. of sugar mixture over each tart. Bake 20 to 23 minutes or until golden brown. Serve immediately.
TIP: When making this for a dairy meal, you can substitute butter for the margarine.  (Recipe by Jamie Geller as published on JoyofKosher.com) Joy of Kosher with Jamie Geller is the #1 kosher food and recipe website in the world, featuring more than 5,700 recipes from Jamie Geller, kosher chefs, food bloggers and community members. The companion print magazine is published bimonthly and is revolutionizing the way people think about kosher food. Find more from Geller at JoyofKosher.com.