In the Kitchen with Henny: Sweet beginnings

I’m so excited to begin a new year, with God’s help, filled with many sweet blessings. What I love about Rosh Hashanah is that nothing from this past year (and it’s been a real doozy) has been written for the year to come. 

We know that all we’ve experienced since the last Rosh Hashanah was written for the year 5784, but what will be in this New Year of 5785 has yet to be written. This gives us hope for positive changes, for miracles, for healing, and, most of all, for peace.

With that in mind, along with our heartfelt prayers, let’s add an extra touch of sweetness to usher in the New Year and make the start even sweeter.

POTATO LEEK SOUP

Years ago, we used to spend Rosh Hashanah in Jerusalem’s Old City so my husband could pray there with his students. One year, we were hosted by our dear friends Rav Josh (a superhero rabbi in the IDF) and his wife, Devora (the superwoman behind the man) for the second night of Rosh Hashanah. 

She served this delicious potato leek soup, and I made sure to get the recipe from her as soon as the chag was over. I’ve added my own little touches and sweetened the recipe a bit with, you guessed it, a few drops of honey. 

Yields 8 servings.

• 4 leeks, cut into chunks
• 8 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed
• 2 zucchinis, cut into chunks
• 3 onions, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, chopped/minced
• ¼ cup olive oil
• 1 tbsp. salt
• ½ tsp. pepper
• 1 tsp. garlic powder/crystals
• ½ tsp. ground ginger
• Pinch of turmeric
• 3 tbsp. honey
• Handful of fresh parsley or spoonful of dried scallions/chives to garnish

In a large soup pot, heat the oil and sauté the onions for about 7 minutes. While the onions are cooking, prep the rest of the ingredients. Add the garlic, leeks, potatoes, zucchini, and spices to the pot, drizzle the honey over the mixture, and stir well. Pour in enough water to mostly cover the vegetables. 

Cover the pot, leaving a small opening, and bring it to a boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat and let the soup simmer for 1.5 to 2 hours. 

After cooking, allow the soup to cool slightly, then use an immersion blender (also known as a zhuzher) to cream the soup. Alternatively, you can purée it in a blender or food processor using the S blade. 

Transfer the soup into containers to freeze, or store it in the fridge for up to 4 days. When ready to serve, reheat and enjoy!

SIMANIM SUSHI 

About four years ago, at the start of my kitchen coaching career, I was invited to participate in an online pre-Rosh Hashanah cooking workshop through the OU Israel Center. I presented a pomegranate brisket, but I was completely blown away by another presenter, Margot Botwinick, who demonstrated how to make Simanim Sushi. Simanim – symbolic foods – play a significant role in Rosh Hashanah meals, as they represent the blessings we hope to bring into the new year. I was so intrigued by the concept that I’ve now run three Simanim Sushi workshops this month, and they’ve been a blast!

It requires some prep, but you can easily involve the whole family. Alternatively, you can chop and prepare while listening to a shiur or podcast to help get into the spirit of the upcoming New Year.

Yields 6-8 sushi rolls.

• 8 nori (seaweed) sheets
• 2 cups cooked sushi rice (recipe below)
• 1 seeded pomegranate
• 2 carrots, thinly cut 
• 500 grams of cooked or smoked salmon
• 2 apples, thinly sliced
• 2 cucumbers, thinly sliced without the seeds
• 4 pitted dates, cut into slices
• Soy sauce for dipping

Sushi Rice:

• 1 cup raw sushi rice
• 1½ cups water
• 3 Tbsp. rice vinegar
• 1 tsp. oil
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 Tbsp. sugar

Supplies:

• Sushi rolling mats
• Bowl of water
• Sharp knife

To prepare the sushi rice: Wash the raw rice five times, draining the water each time to remove the milky starch. Cook the rice in a pot with water: bring it to a boil, cover, and simmer on low heat for 10-15 minutes, then turn off the heat and let it sit for 10 minutes. 

In the meantime, heat the vinegar, oil, sugar, and salt in a small pot until dissolved. Let the rice cool for 10 minutes in a large bowl, then mix in the vinegar mixture. Prep your fillings and set them aside.

To assemble the sushi: Place a sheet of nori, shiny side down, on a bamboo mat. Wet your hands (or wear gloves) to prevent sticking, then spread a handful of rice evenly across the nori, leaving an inch at the top edge of the nori empty. Place your desired simanim fillings in a horizontal line in the center of the rice, leaving an inch from the bottom and top of the rice exposed. Gently roll the nori over the fillings with the help of the mat, pressing to create a tight roll. 

Seal the roll at the edge and cut it into even slices using a sharp knife, wiping the blade between cuts for clean slices. 

Dip in soy sauce or honey and enjoy!

APPLE & HONEY CHICKEN

My husband is great at improvising in the kitchen, and I’m always amazed by his creations. A few weeks ago, he wanted to marinate chicken breast in orange juice, but he used apple juice instead, adding in some honey along with a few simple spices to devise this surprisingly delicious chicken that he cooked on the stove with a grill pan. My daughter and I were seriously impressed! 

Yields 4-6 servings.

• 6 pieces chicken breast
• 1 cup apple juice
• 1 tsp. apple cider vinegar
• 3 Tbsp. honey
• 1 clove garlic, crushed 
• ½ tsp. ground black pepper
• Extra honey to drizzle before serving

Put all ingredients, including the chicken breasts, in a bowl or large Ziploc bag and let it marinate in the fridge for up to an hour. Heat up the grill or grill pan and cook the chicken for about 5-6 minutes on one side, then braise the chicken with the remaining marinade before flipping it over, and allow it to cook for another 5-6 minutes until done. 

Drizzle on some extra honey before serving.

APPLE KUGEL, APPLE PIE

For our first Rosh Hashanah hosting a large group at home, I wanted to make an apple kugel – or you could even call it a pie. Yes, it’s that sweet! I posted on social media looking for a simple, tried-and-true recipe, and my dear friend Mindy Rosengarten responded, saying, “It’s possibly as easy as you can get!” 

The recipe uses simple ingredients, has straightforward instructions, and is so delicious you can serve it as dessert. It turns out beautifully in a Pyrex or ceramic dish, can be made up to four days in advance, and keeps well in the fridge.

Yields a 21cm x 21 cm pan (8” x 8”).

• 3/4 cup oil
• 1 cup flour
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 4 eggs
• 4-5 peeled apples, cut into chunks
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 2 Tbsp. sugar + 1 tsp. cinnamon for the top

Preheat the oven to 170C/350F.

Lightly grease a glass or ceramic baking dish. Place all the ingredients in the dish and mix well. Spread evenly and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar. Bake for 45-55 minutes, and you’re done. 

Yes, the directions are that easy. Enjoy!

Wishing you all a very sweet and healthy new year ahead. May we be able to celebrate together in good times soon.

The writer is a kitchen coach who teaches women how to plan meals and cook to get dinner on the table and prepare for Shabbat/chag on time. Learn more: www.inthekitchenwithhenny.com