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May 24, 2012 10:58 am PDT

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Tribe

August 20, 2010

Easy cooking for the holidays [RECIPES]

By Judy Zeidler

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If you are in a dilemma about what to serve your family for Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur and Sukkot, expand your menu options to include dishes that can be served in both the dining room and the sukkah.

Rosh Hashanah (Sept. 8-10) usually occurs during the warmest days of the year, so I plan to serve a refreshing and delicious cold Apple-Spinach Salad With Sautéed Salmon as the main course. This recipe is made with a combination of diced apples, tahini and honey; it’s perfect because apples and honey are traditionally served during this holiday to ensure a sweet new year. The dressing can be prepared the day before and refrigerated. The spinach leaves are tossed with the mixture and topped with the sautéed salmon just before serving.

This year, Yom Kippur begins at sundown Friday, Sept. 17, and the break-the-fast meal is on Saturday evening. As with any Shabbat or Yom Kippur meal, most of the work for this menu can be done beforehand and carried to the table as the guestsarrive.

The transition from fasting to feasting should be a gradual one. Begin with challah to dip in honey. Serve a refreshing glass of lemonade, apple juice, tea or a glass of chilled rosé wine; that way, if family and friends arrive at different times, they can satisfy their thirst and hunger. Cold deli food is a great way to go — it allows you to serve an assortment of delicious cold dishes: platters of cheeses, potato salad, coleslaw, pickles, olives, cream cheese, lox and bagels. But the surprise will be a warm main dish, a Potato and Lox Casserole, which features a savory blend of potatoes, lox, onions and dill. Prepare the casserole in advance, store in the refrigerator, and reheat in the oven.

During the harvest festival of Sukkot (Sept. 22-29), children look forward to building the outdoor sukkah, where the traditional holiday meals are served. Many of the Sukkot main dishes include stuffed vegetables and casseroles of various kinds, which makes them easy to transport outdoors. Cabbage rolls baked in a rich tomato-wine sauce are a family favorite, especially when stuffed with a filling of ground chicken mixed with onions, garlic and grated potato.

Honey cake is the perfect dessert for all three holidays. Over the years, I have experimented with many recipes, and this delicious, high-rise spicy honey cake has a light, appealing texture, the result of folding in beaten egg whites. Try it once and you’ll never buy another store-bought honey cake.

A variation, especially for Sukkot, is to frost the honey cake with lemon icing and garnish with lemon peel; the lemon represents the ancient etrog, or citron, which is part of the holiday tradition.

APPLE-SPINACH SALAD WITH SAUTÉED SALMON

1/2 pound salmon, sautéed and diced
3 apples, peeled, cored and diced
3 green onions (scallions), thinly sliced
3 celery stalks, diced
Juice of 2 lemons
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup tahini (sesame seed paste)
2 tablespoons honey
1 bunch spinach, torn into bite-size pieces
1/4 cup toasted sesame seeds

Prepare salmon and set aside.

In a large bowl, toss the apples, green onions and celery with juice of one lemon to keep the apples from darkening. Set aside.

In a blender, food processor or a small bowl, blend together the mayonnaise, tahini, honey and juice from the second lemon; the mixture will be very thick. Toss with the apple mixture. Cover with plastic wrap and chill.

Just before serving, place spinach in a large bowl, add the apple mixture, and toss to coat the spinach thoroughly. Arrange diced sautéed salmon on top and garnish with sesame seeds.

Variation: Substitute poached chicken for the salmon.

Makes 6 to 8 servings.

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Judy—the salmon with apples and honey, as well as the stuffed cabbage rolls both look wonderful. I will share the recipes with David and undoubtedly try them over the holidays. Thanks for sharing your amazing talent with all of us!

Comment by Deborah Shames on 8/22/10 at 12:10 pm

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