Enjoying a sweet taste in the Rosh Hashana menu seems to be practically universal. Just about everyone serves apples with honey and a slice of sweet halla to express the wish for a "happy and sweet new year," and many enhance their cooking with honey, brown sugar and dried fruit. In some families, the custom of emphasizing sweetness also goes in the direction of avoiding sour and spicy tastes. Cooks in such households omit lemons, hot peppers and sharp spices from their menus. That does not mean that no spices are used at all. For Rosh Hashana, the sweet spices - cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and cardamom - gain in importance, lending their gentle accent to holiday dishes. These spices harmonize beautifully with foods flavored with honey or sugar, providing a refreshing balance so the sweetness of such dishes as tzimmes will be pleasing, not cloying. Of course, like any spice, if you use them with a overly liberal hand, these spices can be sharp as well. For the best results, add them gradually and taste before adding more. Here is a sweetly spiced healthy holiday menu featuring plenty of produce. The main course, carrot compote, and dessert are part of the menu I am teaching in my Rosh Hashana cooking class this year. I have also included an old-fashioned American-Jewish favorite, a sweet potato casserole flavored with brown sugar and spices. Begin the menu with a fish dish, such as baked salmon with sweet peppers, and be sure to include a salad as well. Let this healthy menu express the wish for a happy, healthy and sweet New Year. AMERICAN ROSH HASHANA SWEET POTATO CASSEROLE When I was growing up, this sweet potato casserole was a family favorite. The mashed sweet potatoes are lightly sweetened with brown sugar and flavored with orange and sweet spices. The dish was enriched with parve margarine but now I substitute vegetable oil. My mother sprinkled it with lightly crushed cornflakes before baking, and served it garnished with candied cherries, both of which were popular in old-fashioned sweet potato recipes. 900 gr. medium-sized orange-fleshed sweet potatoes 2 Tbsp. vegetable oil 2 to 4 Tbsp. brown sugar 1â„4 cup orange juice 2 tsp. grated orange zest 1â„2 tsp. ground cinnamon 1â„4 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg, or to taste pinch of cloves 1 large egg salt to taste Cornflakes, lightly crushed (optional, for sprinkling) Put sweet potatoes in a large saucepan with water to cover and a pinch of salt and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer over low heat about 30 minutes or until tender. Drain and let cool. Preheat oven to 175º. Peel potatoes. Mash them with a potato masher. Stir in 1 tablespoon oil, 2 tablespoons brown sugar, orange juice, orange rind, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and salt. Taste, and add more sugar if you like. Stir in egg. Grease a 6- to 8-cup casserole. Add potato mixture. Sprinkle with cornflakes. Drizzle with remaining oil. Bake about 40 minutes or until top is firm and light golden at edges. Serve hot or warm. Makes 6 to 8 servings. THREE-WAY TZIMMES WITH WHOLE WHEAT MATZA BALLS AND BUTTERNUT SQUASH Although sweet potatoes are commonly paired with the carrots in tzimmes, I like butternut squash for its more delicate taste and lighter texture, especially if I'm adding matza balls. Tzimmes should be moist and saucy but not soupy. Some cooks thicken it from the beginning with a roux by cooking flour with the sautéed onions. Because the stew gains body while simmering and standing, most people wait till it's done to decide. The preferred techniques are adding a flour slurry or baking the tzimmes. (To do this, see the note at the end of the recipe.) 700 gr. boneless lean veal or beef stew meat, trimmed of fat, or boneless chicken thighs 2 Tbsp. vegetable oil 1 large onion, chopped 2 large carrots, peeled and cut in 2.5-cm. chunks salt and freshly ground pepper 2 to 21â„2 cups water 2 large eggs, or 1 egg and 2 egg whites 1â„2 cup whole wheat matza meal or regular matza meal, plus 1 to 2 Tbsp. more if needed 900 gr. butternut squash (dalorit) 2 Tbsp. honey 1â„4 tsp. ground cinnamon 11â„4 cups pitted prunes Cut meat in 2.5- to 3-cm. pieces and pat them dry. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a heavy stew pan. Add meat cubes in two batches, browning each lightly on all sides over medium heat and removing browned meat with a slotted spoon to a plate. Add onion to pan and sauté over medium heat, stirring often, until brown, about 10 minutes; cover and add 1 tablespoon water if pan becomes dry. Return meat to pan with any juices on plate. Add salt, pepper and enough water to just cover. If using chicken or veal, add carrots now. Bring to a boil, skimming occasionally. Cover and simmer over low heat, stirring occasionally, for 1 hour, or until meat is tender. If using beef, add carrots after the meat has simmered for 1 hour, and simmer an additional hour or until meat is tender. For a lighter sauce, refrigerate cooked meat and its sauce separately for several hours, then skim fat from top of sauce. Return meat to sauce and reheat. Meanwhile, prepare matza balls: Lightly beat eggs with 1 tablespoon oil in a medium bowl. Add 1â„2 cup matza meal, 1â„2 teaspoon salt and pinch of pepper. Stir with a fork until batter is smooth. Slowly stir in 1 tablespoon broth from tzimmes. Cover batter and refrigerate for 20 minutes. Batter will thicken. In a medium saucepan, bring about 2 liters of water to a boil with 1 teaspoon salt. Reduce heat so water barely simmers. With wet hands, take about 1 heaping teaspoon of batter and shape it lightly in a small, roughly round dumpling by gently rolling it between your palms. Batter should be too soft to form a neat, smooth ball. If you're not sure whether the matza balls will hold together, cook one in the simmering water for 10 minutes, remove it with a slotted spoon and taste it for firmness and seasoning. If it is too soft, stir in matza meal by tablespoons. If it is too firm, gradually stir in more broth by tablespoons. Continue shaping matza balls, wetting your hands before each one and slipping them carefully into the simmering water. Cover and simmer over low heat for 30 minutes or until just firm. Keep them warm in their covered pan until ready to serve; or refrigerate in their cooking liquid and reheat gently in the liquid. Peel squash and cut it in half lengthwise. Discard seeds and stringy parts in cavity. Cut squash in 2.5-cm. cubes. Stir honey and cinnamon into sauce. Add squash and push pieces into liquid. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Turn squash pieces over. Add prunes. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes or until squash is tender. Taste and adjust seasoning. To serve, remove matza balls gently from water with a slotted spoon. You can add matza balls to the sauce or put a few in each portion at serving time. If you're adding them to the pan, spoon a little sauce over them, cover and let stand so they absorb flavor for 10 minutes, or until ready to serve. Serve stew from a casserole or deep serving dish. Makes 4 to 6 servings. Note: If you would like to thicken the sauce, choose one of these methods: Baking: Bake the tzimmes uncovered at 175º for 20 to 30 minutes. Using a slurry: Mix 1 tablespoon cornstarch or flour with 2 tablespoons water to a smooth paste in a medium bowl. Bring tzimmes to a gentle simmer. Gradually ladle about 1 cup of tzimmes sauce into cornstarch paste, stirring until smooth. Return mixture to pan and bring to a simmer, stirring as gently as possible to avoid breaking up squash and prunes. Simmer over low heat for 5 minutes. CARROT COMPOTE IN CINNAMON CLOVE SYRUP Moroccan Jews make preserves and jams from vegetables as well as fruit. In the spirit of such recipes I came up with this refreshing compote, for which I poach the carrots in a much lighter syrup scented with cinnamon, cloves and lemon. If you like, you could also add a few cardamom pods or a pinch of ground cardamom. Serve these sweet carrots warm as a side dish or cold as dessert. 700 gr. carrots, peeled and sliced about 6 mm. thick 3 cups water pinch of salt 1 cinnamon stick or 3â„4 tsp. ground cinnamon 2 whole cloves or a pinch of ground cloves 1â„4 cup sugar 1â„4 cup honey or additional sugar 11â„2 to 2 Tbsp. lemon juice 1â„2 cup raisins Combine carrots, water and salt in a heavy saucepan with cinnamon stick and whole cloves but not with ground spices. Bring to a boil. Cover and simmer over medium-low heat for 7 minutes or until just tender. Remove carrots with a slotted spoon. Add sugar, honey, ground cinnamon and ground cloves to pan. Stir gently to blend in sugar and bring to a simmer. Cover and cook over medium-low heat for 5 minutes or until carrots are tender and well flavored. Add lemon juice and raisins. Let carrots stand in syrup for at least 4 hours to absorb flavors; or refrigerate in a covered container until ready to serve. Serve cold as dessert or as an appetizer soup or warm as a side dish. Serve carrots in small dessert dishes with some of their syrup. Makes 4 to 6 servings. ALMOND APPLESAUCE CAKE WITH CHOCOLATE CHIPS AND HONEY Honey lends a subtle accent to this cake so it is more delicate than traditional honey cakes. Before baking, I like to soak the raisins in brandy or juice so they are plump and moist. 1â„4 cup raisins 2 Tbsp. apple brandy, rum or apple juice 21â„4 cups all-purpose flour 21â„4 tsp. baking powder 3â„4 tsp. baking soda 1 tsp. ground cinnamon 3 large eggs 1 1â„3 cups packed brown sugar 1â„3 cup honey 2â„3 cup canola oil or light olive oil 1â„2 cup plus 2 Tbsp. unsweetened applesauce 1â„2 cup semisweet chocolate chips 1â„2 cup blanched almonds, chopped Put raisins in a jar, add brandy, cover jar and shake to combine. Let stand at least 30 minutes or up to a few hours. Preheat oven to 175º. Lightly grease a 23-cm. square pan, line it with parchment paper or waxed paper and grease the paper. Sift the flour with the baking powder, baking soda and cinnamon. Beat eggs lightly. Add sugar and honey and beat until mixture is smooth and lightened in color. Gradually add oil and beat until blended. On low speed, beat in flour mixture alternately with the applesauce, each in two batches. Last beat in chocolate chips, almonds and raisins with their liquid. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake for about 30 minutes or until your finger does not leave an indentation when you press lightly on top of cake, and a cake tester inserted in center of cake comes out clean. Cool in pan for about 15 minutes. Turn out onto rack and carefully peel off the paper. Cover tightly when completely cool. Serve at room temperature. Cut in squares or bars. Makes 9 to 12 servings. Faye Levy is the author of Healthy Cooking for the Jewish Home.
