Rosh Hashanah No-Knead Challah

Most of us have plenty of cooking and baking to do for Rosh Hashanah, so an easy-to-do Challah recipe is much appreciated.

Mix the dough with a spoon, form it into a loose ball with your hands, let it rise and then braid it.  Relatively high in eggs, sugar and oil (healthy olive oil!), this recipe produces a sweet, cake-like challah especially appropriate for the chagim. If you prefer honey to sugar, cut back on the amount of water in the recipe.

1 package (2 ½ teaspoons) instant dry yeast                                

1 tablespoon sugar

½ cup warm water

2 eggs

½ cup warm water

⅓ cup sugar

1 ½ teaspoons salt

⅓ cup mild-flavored extra-virgin olive oil

2 cups whole wheat flour

2 cups white flour

Handful of raisins (optional)

Mix the yeast, sugar and water in a large bowl to soften the yeast. After a few minutes, add the eggs, remaining ½ cup of water, sugar, salt and olive oil. Mix well, and start adding the flour, one cup at a time. When all of the flour is mixed in, add the raisins and mix with your hands to form a loose ball of dough.

Let the dough rise for about 2 hours, or until double in size.

Turn the dough onto a floured surface and shape into equal parts to braid or twist. Make one large challah, two smaller ones or lots of rolls. This dough tends to spread rather than rise in the oven, so I like to bake it in a pan with sides. That way there's less spreading space and there's no where else for the dough to go than up!

Bake at 325 F (165 C) for 20-25 minutes, depending on the size of your challot.

Wishing all of you a happy, healthy and quiet New Year.

Seven Strategies for Better Health in the Coming New Year

Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish new year, is a festive day of celebration and a serious day of judgment. It's not about making resolutions. But with the start of a month filled with holiday meals, it's a good time to think about improving your health. Here are seven strategies for eating healthier in 5771:

1. Use smart fats. Extra virgin olive oil is high in heart-healthy monounsaturated fats and powerful antioxidants. Use it in cooking, baking and to dress salads. Canola oil is also good for baking. Stay away from margarine, which is highly processed and may contain trans fat.

2. Replace refined grains with whole grains. Adding whole grains to your diet may lower your risk of diabetes, heart disease, cancer and obesity. Replace white flour with whole-wheat flour when you bake. Try whole grain pasta. Serve a whole grain for dinner – try brown rice, bulgur, kasha, quinoa, barley or wheat berries. They're high in important vitamins, minerals and fiber and delicious too.

3. Cut out sodas. If you're a big soda drinker, start off by drinking one less can of soda a day. Regular soda is high in sugar and calories with no nutritional value. Diet soda, with its array of additives, is not much better. Make your own refreshing (and economical) drink: Pour ⅓ cup pure fruit juice into a large glass and add sparkling water to the top. Try tea – hot or cold, black, green or herbal, for a refreshing beverage. Don't forget plain unadulterated tap water – the budget-friendly beverage of choice.

4. Use sweeteners judiciously. Sugar, whether it's white or brown, honey or maple syrup, adds calories to your diet with little nutritional value. Stay away from highly-sweetened store-bought baked goods. Cut back a little on the sugar in your favorite cookie or cake recipes and no one will know the difference. Make baked goods a special Shabbat treat, and stick with fruit for dessert during the week.

5. Cook more often. Did you know that obesity rates are highest among people who spend the least amount of time cooking? You don't have to spend hours over a hot stove to cook "from scratch". Keep a well-stocked pantry and plan menus in advance. Cook extra amounts and store leftovers in the freezer for those days when you don't have time to cook. Pick up a cookbook to get some ideas. (My book has menu ideas and lots of easy-to-cook recipes!) Start off with the basics and go from there.

6. Go easy on salt. Most processed food is loaded with salt, and the more salt you eat, the greater your chances of developing high blood pressure. Check the label for sodium before you buy foods like soup powder, noodle cups, canned soup and pasta sauce. Even frozen waffles and breakfast cereal may be loaded with salt. In the kitchen, substitute fresh herbs and spices for salt. If you gradually reduce the amount of salt you use in cooking, it's less likely to be missed.

7. Eat mindfully. Think through your food choices. Make a list before you shop and don't be tempted to buy things that you know you shouldn't eat. Learn about portion sizes. Eat when you're hungry and not when you're bored or feeling bad. Pay attention to when you feel full, so you won't overeat. Most importantly, enjoy your food!

With best wishes for good health and happiness in the coming year!

Apples and Honey

With Rosh Hashanah right around the corner, apples dipped in honey will soon be on our dinner tables – a traditional symbol for a sweet new year.

Even without honey, apples make a delicious snack any time. They're a good source of healthy antioxidants and pectin – a form of fiber that's good for lowering cholesterol.

As for honey, why not try something new this year and choose a dark flavorful variety, like eucalyptus, avocado, buckwheat or chestnut? These tend to be higher in antioxidants than the milder and more common clover and citrus honeys.

Is honey good for you?

Preliminary studies suggest that antioxidants in honey may help speed up metabolism and aid in weight loss. But don't get too excited. The calories in honey (64 per tablespoon) add up quickly, so you can easily gain weight by eating too much.

Though there's no clinical evidence that honey can help relieve allergy symptoms, it just might help soothe a cough. When tested against over-the-counter cough syrups, honey was more effective! Just don't give honey to children younger than a year old, as it contains bacteria than can produce botulism poisoning in an infant's immature immune system.

In ancient times, honey was used as a wound dressing. Research is now confirming its effectiveness.

Nutrition and medicine aside, I recommend eating more apples and trying at least one new variety of honey this year, just because they taste so good!

שנה טובה ומתוקה

A Happy and Sweet New Year to Everyone

Honey Spice Bars (Parve)

No time to bake honey cake this year? Looking for a delicious holiday dessert that's full of good-for-you grains, nuts and seeds?

Here it is. Based on the French spice cake Pain D'Epices, this cake uses rye flour instead of wheat. But don't worry. It's light and airy - nothing like "health food" bakery goods.

These are very popular, so I usually make a double recipe.

Ingredients

½ cup rye flour

½ cup rolled oats

¼ cup raw sunflower seeds

½ cup chopped walnuts

¾ teaspoon baking powder

¼ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon ground cardamom

1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

2 eggs

2/3 cup brown sugar

2 tablespoons honey

1/3 cup canola oil

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Method

Preheat the oven to 350 F (180C). Spray or line an 8” (20cm) square baking pan.

Whisk together the flour, oats, walnuts, seeds, baking powder, salt, cardamom, cinnamon and cloves and set aside.

Using an electric mixer, mix together the eggs, sugar, honey, oil and vanilla. Beat until smooth and thick, about 2 minutes. Mix in the dry ingredients and pour into the prepared pan. Smooth the top.

Bake for 25-35 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean. Cool completely in the pan and cut into squares.

16-20 servings

Healthy Holiday Tips

It's so easy to put on weight during the holidays. The table is heavy with plates of delicious food. And soon after we've digested one meal, it seems like another is on the way!


Here are some tips for smart holiday eating:


1. Eat something light before Erev Chag so you won't be really really hungry when you sit down to dinner. Fresh fruit, vegetables and yogurt are good choices.


2. There's something satisfying about a full dinner plate. So go ahead and fill up your plate using this rule of thumb: Fill up half of your plate with vegetables, a quarter with whole-grain carbohydrate and the remaining quarter with low-fat protein.

3. Avoid fatty gravy and sauces. Trim the fat and skin from red meat and chicken.

4. Save on calories by drinking water rather than juice. And don't overdo it on wine.

5. If you have the option, choose fruit for dessert. Or take a small portion of cake or pastry.


6. Take a brisk half hour walk before Erev Chag and on both days of Rosh Hashanah.

7. Don't be tempted to nibble on leftovers. Pack them up for the freezer, set them aside for another meal or give them away.

8. If you've overeaten during the holidays, don't let guilt feelings get you down. Get right back on track with healthy eating, exercise and a positive attitude.

9. Relax and enjoy the holiday!

WISHING ALL OF YOU A SHANAH TOVAH U'METUKAH - A HAPPY, HEALTHY AND SWEET NEW YEAR.

Simanim Part II

Here are the brachot (blessings) and the "requests" said with each of the Simanim before the main Rosh Hashanah meal.

After Hamotzi and before eating the main holiday meal, say the following:

Date (tamar)

Say the blessing borei pri ha’etz and eat a date; then take another date and recite: May it be Your will, Hashem our God, God of our forefathers, that they (our enemies) cease to exist
(yitamu sounds like tamar).

Take a vegetable (not one of the symbolic ones below) and recite the blessing borei pri ha’adamah, while having in mind the other vegetables that will be eaten.

Leeks (karte)
May it be Your will, Hashem our God, God of our forefathers, that they be decimated (she’ikartu sounds like karte) – our foes and our enemies and all who seek our harm.

Beet greens or Swiss chard (selek)
May it be Your will, Hashem our God, God of our forefathers, that they be removed (yistalek sounds like selek) – our foes and our enemies and all who seek our harm.

Black-eyed peas (rubiya)
May it be Your will, Hashem our God, God of our forefathers, that our merits increase like rubiya.

Winter squash (kara)
May it be Your will, Hashem our God, God of our forefathers, that You tear up (sh’tikra sounds like kara) the evil edict of our judgment; and may our merits be declared before You.

Pomegranate (rimon)
May it be Your will, Hashem our God, God of our forefathers, that our merits be plentiful as the seeds of a pomegranate.

Head of a lamb or fish (rosh)
May it be Your will, Hashem our God, God of our forefathers, that we be like a head and not like a tail.

Apple dipped in honey
May it be Your will, Hashem our God, God of our forefathers, that there be renewed for us a good and sweet year, from the beginning of the year until the end of the year.

(Translations are from The Orot Sephardic Rosh Hashannah Mahazor, Orot, Inc. 1996)

Baked Chicken and Rice

I enjoy cooking. So I'm looking forward to cooking for Rosh Hashanah. What's harder for me is the planning. I just don't feel relaxed until I've planned at least the basics of the menu. Not that I follow it precisely. But having something written down helps me feel organized and ready to go.

A week or so ago I started browsing through cookbooks for new ideas. The order form from our organic farm co-op just came, so I'm deciding on fresh vegetables, fruits and herbs. They don't have everything we need, so I'm making a list for the green-grocer. And another for the grocery store.

It's still quite hot here in Beer Sheva, so we're skipping soup this year. We'll have the Simanim, cooked as salads or side dishes: black-eyed peas in tomato sauce, braised beet greens, and leeks cooked with Indian spices. The butternut squash may go into sambousek - small pastries made with an olive oil dough. The trick is to make them this week, freeze them and bake them before dinner.

We're having chicken for dinner and salmon for lunch.

Here's an easy chicken recipe that you might want to try for Rosh Hashanah. It uses brown rice and Sephardic-style seasonings, including baharat, a Mediterranean blend that often includes cinnamon, cloves and chili peppers.

Ingredients

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 large onion, minced
1 1/2 cups brown rice, rinsed
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 teaspoon ground paprika
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground baharat (optional)
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 cups water
2 1/2 to 3 pounds (1 to 1 1/2 kilo) chicken, cut into pieces and skin removed

Method

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (180 Celcius).

Heat the oil in a skillet and saute the onion, stirring, until golden. Put the onion into a large shallow baking dish or casserole. Add the rice to the onions and mix together.

Mix the spices and salt in a small bowl. Set aside a few teaspoons of the mixture and add the remaining spices to the water. Pour this over the rice in the baking dish. Place the chicken pieces on top and sprinkle with the remaining spice mixture.

Cover tightly and bake for 1 hour. Uncover and bake for another 15 minutes, until the chicken is thoroughly cooked and browned.

Serves 4 to 6

Rosh Hashanah - Simanim Part I

Ask anyone what foods they associate with Rosh Hashanah and the answer you’re likely to get is “apples and honey.”

Would anyone say black-eyed peas? Or beet greens?

Not that long ago, I certainly wouldn’t have thought of these as Jewish holiday foods.

Weren’t black-eyed peas “soul food” in the U.S.? And who ate the tops of beets? I remember seeing them once in my mother’s borscht.

Then I moved to Israel and learned about Simanim – traditional foods eaten on Erev Rosh Hashanah. The Talmud mentions five of them: Gourds (winter squash), black-eyed peas, leeks, beet greens and dates. We arrange these on our holiday table, along with a pomegranate, fish head, apples and honey.

Each food symbolizes a wish for the coming year, based on its Hebrew or Aramaic name.

Since the Simanim are all seasonal, healthy and delicious foods, I incorporate them into our holiday meal. They make wonderful salads and side dishes that compliment our main course of poultry or fish. Add whole-wheat challah, a light soup and fresh fruit for dessert and you’ve got a healthy gourmet holiday meal - a wonderful start to the New Year!

Here's a holiday recipe for beet greens. You can use Swiss chard as well:

BRAISED BEET GREENS OR SWISS CHARD (PARVE)

2 pounds (1 kilo) beet greens or Swiss chard, washed and checked well
1 medium onion, minced
1 clove garlic, minced

½ teaspoon each ground cumin and coriander
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
¼ cup water
1 teaspoon paprika
½ teaspoon salt
Freshly ground pepper to taste

Slice the greens, including the stems, into ribbons, about an inch (2 to 3 cm) wide.

Put them into a pan with the remaining ingredients. Cover tightly and cook over low heat for about 30 minutes, or until the greens are very soft and silky. Stir occasionally and add more water if necessary to prevent sticking. If the greens are too watery, uncover the pan and cook for a little longer. Taste for salt and pepper. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Serves 4-6

The beautiful watercolor above is courtesy of Beer Sheva artist Ruth Gresser. To see more of Ruth's art, visit her website at: http://www.ruthgresser-ruthart.com/home/

Rosh Hashanah - Starting Early

In Israel, you can feel the New Year coming. Evenings are finally cooling down. Calendars are in the mail. Stores are displaying local wines and honey.

At the green-grocer, peaches and nectarines are being replaced by fresh figs and dates, apples and pears. Green beans and leeks are here. My son just brought home his kibbutz’s gift of organic pomegranates, spices and dates.

Families are making plans. Not for vacations, but for meals. Who’s eating where? When you have married children, it’s an issue. Grandmothers, aunts, cousins all need to be consulted. And it always works out. With nearly a month of holidays, there are plenty of meals to share.

This year we’ve invited a delightful young couple from Oregon who just made aliyah. Annie is a medical student in the Columbia-Ben Gurion program. Her husband Shimron is a chef. As a former Oregonian, I’m familiar with some of the chefs he worked with back home – top notch restaurateurs known for their innovative use of fresh local ingredients.

You can imagine how excited I was when Shimron offered to help us cook for the holidays. I’m looking forward to my first time in the kitchen with a real professional.

We haven’t yet decided on a menu, but it’s not too early to think about dessert. On Rosh Hashanah, my mother’s honey cake is a given. It can be baked several weeks in advance, wrapped well and kept in the freezer. Since honey is a natural preservative, you can even leave this cake at room temperature for a week or two, providing it is carefully wrapped.

Mom’s Honey Cake (Parve)

2 cups honey
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 cup strong hot coffee (brewed or instant)
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1 ½ cups whole-wheat pastry flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground allspice
3 eggs, at room temperature
1 cup sugar

Generously spray a large bundt pan or two 9 × 5” (23 x 13 cm) loaf pans with baking
spray.

Preheat oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit (150 Centigrade)

Heat the honey in a very large pan until it begins to bubble slightly. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the baking soda. The mixture will bubble and foam up to the top of the pan. Stir in the coffee and set the mixture aside to cool.

Whisk together the flour and spices and set aside.

With an electric mixer, beat the eggs until creamy. Add the sugar, a little at a time, until the mixture is thick and pale. Add the cooled honey and the flour mixture alternately to the eggs, a little at a time, mixing on low speed to combine. Pour the mixture into the baking pan(s) and bake for 45 to 60 minutes, depending on the size of the pan. The cake should start to come away from the sides of the pan and a toothpick inserted into the center should come out dry when ready.

Cool the cake(s) on a wire rack.

Serves 12 to 16