Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, begins on the evening of Monday, Sept. 22, and is celebrated for two days.
For the occasion, people wish each other a happy, healthy, sweet New Year. To highlight this wish, cooks in many households accent their holiday menus with sweet ingredients.
Apple slices dipped in honey are the traditional beginning to the Rosh Hashanah dinner. On the second day of the holiday, a popular custom is to serve seasonal or exotic fruits; this year we plan to embellish ours with a sprinkling of a sweet Middle Eastern mixture made of sesame seeds toasted with nuts.
In our menus we like to include touches of sweetness in every dish, such as our fruit cobbler dessert made with fresh and dried fruit. Our sweet flavorings are sometimes subtle, like the raisins in our picadillo and the pomegranate sauce that’s spooned into bowls of our noodle soup.
As an additional treat we are preparing sugar-free blueberry jam, which makes a deliciously sweet topping for yogurt, as well as a nutritious spread for our Rosh Hashanah challah.
Fruit salad is shown served with sweet dukkah, a mixture of toasted sesame seeds with nuts and sweet spices. (Photo by Yakir Levy)
Fruit Salad with Sweet Dukkah
We’re serving our Rosh Hashanah fruit platter this year with a special topping — sweet dukkah.
Sweet dukkah, a mixture of toasted sesame seeds with nuts and sweet spices is a great sprinkling for fruit. (Photo by Yakir Levy)
Dukkah is best known as a savory sprinkle made with sesame seeds and spices. Rachel Simons, author of “Sesame: Global Recipes + Stories of an Ancient Seed,” makes sweet dukkah as well. We love it sprinkled over mixtures of fresh fruit, including berries, tangerine segments, melon cubes, mango pieces and grapes.
Yield: 2 1/2 cups dukkah, 8 to 10 servings fruit
INGREDIENTS
1 cup sesame seeds
1/2 cup pistachios, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup almonds, coarsely chopped
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/2 teaspoon flaky salt
1/2 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
2 tablespoons edible dried rose petals (optional)
Platter of 8 to 10 cups cut fruit (for serving)
DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Spread sesame seeds, pistachios and almonds on prepared baking sheet. Sprinkle with cinnamon, cardamom and salt; toss to combine.
2. Bake for 6 minutes. Give baking sheet a vigorous shake to move nuts and seeds. Add coconut and shake baking sheet again. Return mixture to oven. Bake until coconut turns golden brown, 4 to 6 minutes more. Check regularly to make sure dukkah isn’t burning.
3. Cool completely in pan; add rose petals. Store in an airtight container up to 2 months. Serve with cut fruit.
Sugar-Free Blueberry Jam” is made from a recipe in the cookbook “Cold Canning: The Easy Way to Preserve the Seasons” by Bruce Weinstein and Mark Scarbrough. (Photo by Yakir Levy)
Sugar-Free Blueberry Jam
We couldn’t believe this jam tastes so good without sugar. It’s from a recipe in “Cold Canning: The Easy Way to Preserve the Seasons” by Bruce Weinstein and Mark Scarbrough.
Blueberries are high in pectin; this jam cooks long enough to set without additional pectin and gains a rich, almost caramelized flavor. It’s sweetened with a cup-for-cup white sugar substitute. I used monk fruit and erythritol sweetener.
Yield: About 2 cups
INGREDIENTS
1 pound 6 ounces fresh blueberries (about 4 cups)
3/4 to 1 cup (1-to-1) (by volume) granulated white sugar substitute
1/4 cup unsweetened apple juice
1 tablespoon lemon juice
DIRECTIONS
1. Combine ingredients in a large saucepan. Set it over medium-high heat. Stir constantly to dissolve sugar substitute. Bring mixture to a boil that you can’t stir down, stirring often.
2. Use back of a wooden spoon to mash about half of blueberries into simmering liquid. Reduce heat to low. Cook, stirring often, until thickened, 20 to 25 minutes.
3. Turn off heat and remove pan from burner. Let stand for 1 or 2 minutes; skim off any foamy impurities with a tablespoon.
4. Transfer to two clean 1/2-pint jars or other containers, leaving about 1/2 inch of headspace in each. Cover or seal. Cool at room temperature for no more than 1 hour, then refrigerate or freeze. In the fridge, the jam may take 24 hours to set. It keeps refrigerated up to 2 weeks or frozen up to 6 months.
Vegan fruit cobbler is made with almond flour and with fresh and dried mango and blueberries. (Photo by Yakir Levy)
Mango and Blueberry Cobbler
This light, delicately sweet pareve dessert is inspired by the summer fruit cobbler in Miami Vegan by Ellen Kanner.
To sweeten it, I replaced part of the sugar with dried blueberries and diced dried mango. Serve it with plant-based vanilla yogurt if you like.
Yield: 6 servings
INGREDIENTS
2 tablespoons coconut oil or vegan butter
5 tablespoons olive oil blend (olive oil, sunflower oil and avocado oil) or vegan butter
1/3 cup almond flour
1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup unsweetened almond milk
1/4 cup chopped dried mango
1/4 cup dried blueberries
1 cup blueberries
1 cup sliced mango
1 cup diced nectarine
Mango and nectarine cubes, blueberries and pecans (for garnish)
DIRECTIONS
1. Heat oven to 350 degrees, or convection or air fryer toaster oven to 325. Melt coconut oil and olive oil blend in 6-cup casserole in preheating oven.
2. In a medium bowl mix flour, baking powder and sugar. Add oat milk and stir until smooth. Stir in dried fruit.
3. Carefully pour about half of melted oil mixture into batter, leaving rest in baking dish. Stir batter together to incorporate; pour it into baking dish.
4. Spoon the fresh fruit on top, keeping it mostly toward the center. As the cobbler bakes, the batter rises to encase the fruit.
5. Bake for 40 to 60 minutes or until a tester inserted in batter comes out clean. Cool slightly. Serve garnished with fruit and pecans.
Noodle soup with roasted mushrooms is served with spicy pomegranate sauce. (Photo by Yakir Levy)
Noodle Soup with Spicy Pomegranate Sauce
This soup, inspired by a recipe in “Umma: A Korean Mom’s Kitchen Wisdom and 100 Family Recipes” by Sarah Ahn and Nam Soon Ahn, gains extra flavor from a generous amount of garlic, as well as ginger root, fish sauce and sesame oil. A hot pepper sauce flavored with tangy and sweet pomegranate molasses adds a lively finishing touch.
Yield: 4 servings
INGREDIENTS
2 cups shiitake mushrooms, stems reserved for stock
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
1 1/2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
1 leek, trimmed, greens chopped, white part sliced
3/4 teaspoon black peppercorns, plus ground black pepper for serving
6 oz Korean radish or daikon, sliced
1 celery rib, chopped coarse
7 garlic cloves peeled plus 2 teaspoons minced garlic
2 1/2 teaspoons coarsely chopped peeled gingerroot
1 tablespoon fish sauce
1 small russet potato, peeled, halved lengthwise and sliced crosswise 1/8 inch thick
1/2 onion, sliced 1/2 inch thick
1/2 carrot, cut in 3-inch matchsticks
10 ounces noodles, cooked
2 ounces Korean summer squash or zucchini, cut in 3-inch matchsticks
2 green onions, chopped fine
Salt to taste
Spicy Sauce for Noodle Soup — See Note
DIRECTIONS
1. Quarter mushrooms; put them on a tray, sprinkle them with vegetable oil and roast at 400 degrees for 8 minutes per side. Toss mushrooms with sesame oil; cover and set aside.
2. Bring 6 cups water to a boil in a large pot. Add shiitake mushroom stems, leek greens and peppercorns; simmer for 15 minutes to make stock. Remove vegetables and peppercorns with a slotted spoon.
3. Add to broth: radish, leek slices, celery, garlic cloves and gingerroot and bring to a boil. Cook 10 minutes. Add fish sauce, potato, onion and carrot. Return to a boil. Simmer, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes or until vegetables are tender.
4. Add cooked noodles, squash matchsticks, minced garlic and green onions. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Top each serving with a spoonful of the sauce. Serve remaining sauce separately.
Note: Spicy Sauce for Noodle Soup:
Mix 2 tablespoons soy sauce with 2 tablespoons Korean or other pepper flakes, 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil, 1/2 tablespoon minced garlic, 3/4 teaspoon pomegranate molasses and 1/2 teaspoon sugar. Add 1/2 seeded finely chopped red Fresno chile, 1/2 seeded finely chopped jalapeño pepper, and 1 finely chopped green onion.
Picadillo made with lentils, walnuts, tomatoes, olives and capers is shown served with cauliflower rice. (Photo by Yakir Levy)
Lentil and Walnut Picadillo
Picadillo, a main course usually made with ground beef, tomatoes, olives and capers, could be described as a sloppy joe with a Spanish accent. Ellen Kanner, author of “Miami Vegan: Plant-Based Recipes from the Tropics to Your Table,” makes it with lentils and walnuts instead of beef. Serve it with cauliflower rice or brown rice. Raisins provide a touch of sweetness.
Yield: 4 servings
INGREDIENTS
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 sweet red pepper, chopped
3/4 pound tomatoes, chopped, or a 15-ounce can chopped tomatoes
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
3 cups cooked brown lentils (from 1 1/2 cup dried lentils), cooled
1 cup walnuts, chopped
1/3 cup pitted green olives, chopped
1/3 cup raisins
1 tablespoon capers, rinsed and drained
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
DIRECTIONS
1. In a large skillet heat oil over medium-high heat. When it starts to shimmer, add chopped onion, minced garlic and chopped red pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables soften and become slightly golden and fragrant, about 8 minutes.
2. Stir in tomato, cumin, oregano and smoked paprika. Add cooked lentils, walnuts, chopped olives, raisins and capers, taking care not to crush the lentils.
3. Cover and cook over low heat for 10 minutes or until heated through. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and serve.
Braised baby potatoes are served with a salty-sweet sauce, finished with sesame seeds, green onions and pepper flakes. (Photo by Yakir Levy)
Sesame Braised Baby Potatoes
These petite potatoes are boiled, then stir fried, tossed with a salty-sweet sauce and finished with sesame seeds, green onions and pepper flakes. Preparing them this way makes them creamy and tempting. The recipe is from “Umma” by Sarah Ahn and Nam Soon Ahn.
Yield: 4 servings
INGREDIENTS
2/3 cup water
2 tablespoons plus 1/2 teaspoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon corn syrup
12 ounces baby potatoes, unpeeled
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon neutral cooking oil
1 tablespoon sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons sesame seeds, toasted
1 green onion, sliced thin
1/2 teaspoon gochugaru (Korean red pepper) or crushed pepper flakes
DIRECTIONS
1. Whisk the water, soy sauce and corn syrup together in a small bowl.
2. Add potatoes and salt to a 14-inch flat bottomed wok or 12-inch nonstick skillet and cover with water by 1 inch. Bring to a boil and cook for 5 minutes. Drain and pat dry with paper towels. Wipe pan dry.
3. Heat oil in pan over medium heat until shimmering. Add potatoes and cook, tossing occasionally, until nearly tender, about 8 minutes. Add sauce, toss to coat and bring to a simmer. Cover and cook for 1 minute. Uncover and cook, tossing occasionally, until potatoes are fully tender and well seasoned, about 6 minutes.
4. Increase heat to medium-high and add sugar. Cook, tossing, until sauce becomes thick, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in sesame seeds, green onion and red pepper, and serve.
Faye Levy is the author of “1,000 Jewish Recipes.”
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