By Helen Nash
Some of you may like to welcome Rosh Hashanah with recipes that introduce new ingredients, spices and flavors. These recipes have a sweet taste, and they are nutritious and low in calories. In addition they may be prepared in advance and served at room temperature.
Carrot Ginger Soup
6 servings
This soup is good hot, cold or at room temperature. The ingredients are easily attainable, and you can garnish the dish with snipped chives or shredded or grated, steamed carrots.
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, sliced
2 garlic cloves, quartered
4 medium carrots (about 2 pounds)—use 3 for the soup and the rest for garnish—peeled, thickly sliced
1 small Granny Smith (about 6 ounces) peeled, thickly sliced
1-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and quartered
5 cups vegetable broth
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (approximately)
Kosher salt
Freshly ground white pepper
Chives, snipped, or shredded or grated steamed carrot
In a medium saucepan with a cover, heat the oil. Add the onion, garlic, carrots, apple and ginger. Sautee for a few minutes. Add 4-1/2 cups of broth (reserve 1/2 cup). Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cook, covered, until the carrots are tender (about 1/2 an hour). Cool. Puree in batches in blender until smooth. Return the soup to the pan. Adjust the consistency with the reserved 1/2 cup broth, and season to taste with lemon juice, salt and pepper. Garnish with chives or carrot.
Garnish:
Peel the carrot, steam for 2-3 minutes, then grate, shred or cut it into matchsticks.
Chicken With Honey And Mustard
4 servings
This dish is best served at room temperature. It is moist, flavorful and well seasoned.
4 single skinless and boneless chicken breasts, medium size
Marinade:
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
11/2 tablespoons honey
1- inch piece of fresh ginger, minced
1-1/2 tablespoon soy sauce
3 tablespoons orange juice
2 tablespoons dry white wine
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Freshly ground black pepper
Chives snipped, for garnish
Place the chicken in a single layer in a glass or ceramic dish. In a small bowl mix the marinade well and pour over the chicken. Cover and refrigerate for 3-4 hours, turning once.
Preheat the broiler. Bring the chicken back to room temperature. Line the rack of a broiler pan with aluminum foil and place the chicken on it. Pour the marinade over the chicken. Broil the chicken close to the heat source (approximately 6 inches from it) for 5 minutes, turn over and broil for another 2-3 minutes. It should be lightly pink on the inside.
To Serve:
Let chicken rest for a minute covered with aluminum foil, then slice it on a diagonal into medium slices. Spoon the sauce over and garnish with chives.
Glazed Salmon
2 servings
This dish can be served at room temperature as well.
2 center-cut salmon fillets, approximately 2 inches wide, skinned
Glaze:
1 tablespoon orange marmalade
1 teaspoon fresh ginger, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tablespoons rice vinegar, or white wine vinegar
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons fresh orange juice
1 tablespoon olive oil
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Zest of 1 navel orange as a garnish, optional
Glaze:
Combine all the ingredients except oil, salt and pepper in a non-reactive saucepan. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and let simmer, uncovered, until the sauce is reduced to 1/2. Add the oil and season to taste with salt and pepper.
Garnish:
Remove the zest of an orange with a zester, place zest in a little saucepan with enough water to cover it. Bring to a boil, drain and pat dry.
Preheat the broiler. Line the rack of a broiler pan with aluminum foil and oil it lightly. Place the fish on it; season it lightly with salt and pepper and spoon glaze over fish. Broil 6 inches from the heat source for 5-6 minutes, on one side only or until the fish is slightly pink on the inside. Garnish with the reserved zest, if you’d like.
Parsnip Potato Puree
12 servings
This is a nutritious dish with a pale pink color. It can be served with meat, poultry or fish.
1-1/2 pounds parsnips, peeled, sliced
1-1/4 pounds baking potatoes, (russet, 2 potatoes), peeled, sliced
2 medium carrots, peeled, sliced
4 cloves garlic, peeled
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 to 3/4 cups soymilk
Kosher salt
Freshly ground white pepper
Steam all the vegetables in a steamer for about 10 minutes, or until tender. Place into a food processor fitted with the steel blade. (You may have to do this in 2 batches if you have a small processor). Add the olive oil and the soymilk to make a smooth puree. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Keep warm in a double boiler or in the oven.
Zucchini Loaf
12 servings
This cake is moist, light and nutritious. It also freezes very well.
1/4 pound hazelnuts
2 cups unbleached flour (Wondra flour for dusting loaf pan is good)
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 generous cup sugar
2 large eggs
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons orange zest
1/3 cup fresh orange juice
1-1/2 inches fresh ginger root, peeled, finely grated
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 medium zucchini (no more than 7-8 ounces) grated coarsely
Toast the hazelnuts in a toaster oven or 350º oven for about 15 minutes or until the skins are blistered. While the nuts are still hot, rub them in a dishtowel to remove most of their skin (some skin will remain). Chop coarsely in a food processor fitted with the steel blade and set aside. Grease 9×5-inch loaf pan with vegetable oil, and dust evenly with flour or Wondra flour. Preheat oven to 350º.
Sift the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt into a large bowl. Stir in the sugar. In another bowl, whisk together the eggs, oil, orange juice, zest, ginger and vanilla.
Pour the wet ingredients into the flour and fold with a rubber spatula until just combined (don’t overmix). Fold in the zucchini and the hazelnuts. Spoon the batter into the prepared pan, and smooth the top.
Bake in the center of the oven for about 60 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
Cool on a wire rack. Loosen the sides of the cake with a knife and invert onto a serving dish. This cake freezes very well.
Ms. Nash is the author of Kosher Cuisine (New Jersey, 1995) and Helen Nash’s Kosher Kitchen (New Jersey, 2000). She lives in New York City.