When the Jewish New Year comes around, many cooks stress for weeks beforehand and break out their most complicated recipes to impress guests. But when I entertain around the holidays, I prefer to rely on a few go-to dishes that are simple to prepare, pack a delicious punch and still impress my friends and family despite my lack of stressing.
Forget the chicken soup and start the Jewish New Year on a sweet note with this Sweet and Spicy Sweet Potato Soup. It doesn’t require lots of time, but people will be asking for the recipe as soon as they taste it. Made with dried peppers, coconut milk and roasted sweet potatoes, this soup is one of my favorites to make, serve and eat.
A perfect roasted chicken marinated with citrus and herbs is a wonderful counterpoint to a rich brisket on the table. Marinating for at least several hours will ensure a moist chicken everyone will rave about.
And while challah should be served to start the meal, Balsamic Apple-Date Stuffed Challah is so tasty you may want to serve it as the grand finale.
Sweet and Spicy Sweet Potato Soup
Serves 6-8
1⁄4 cup brown sugar
1 tsp. cayenne pepper
1 tsp. paprika
2 tsp. coarse sea salt
10 medium sweet potatoes
3 Tbs. olive oil plus extra
1 medium onion, diced
2 carrots, diced
2 quarts chicken or vegetable stock
2-3 small dried chili peppers, (if medium-sized, use just one)
14 oz. can coconut milk
crème fraîche (optional)
olive oil for finishing (optional)
candied pecans or walnuts (optional)
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Mix brown sugar, cayenne pepper, paprika and salt in a small bowl. Cut sweet potatoes in half and place on foil-lined baking sheet. Spread brown sugar-spice mixture over sweet potatoes and drizzle with olive oil. Roast sweet potatoes for 35-45 minutes or until completely soft. Set aside and let cool.
In a medium to large pot, heat 3 Tbs. olive oil and sauté onions and carrots until translucent and soft, 4-6 minutes. Add 2-3 cups of stock and simmer for 5 minutes. Add sweet potato flesh, and using an immersion blender, blend all vegetables until smooth. Add remaining stock and dried chilis.
When the soup is heated through and flavors have blended, around 20-30 minutes, add coconut milk. Remove the dried chilis before serving. Note: The longer you let the chilis sit in the soup, the spicier the soup will be.
For a dairy meal, you can serve with a dollop of crème fraîche or sour cream. For parve, drizzle with good quality olive oil and chopped candied pecans or walnuts.
Shannon’s Perfect Roast Chicken
Serves 4-6
1 Tbs. fresh chopped rosemary
1⁄2 Tbs. fresh chopped thyme
3 Tbs. olive oil
1⁄4 cup white wine
1 orange, zested and sliced
1 lemon, zested and sliced
salt and pepper to taste
1 whole chicken, rinsed
6 cloves garlic, whole
In a small mixing bowl, whisk together rosemary, thyme, olive oil, wine, zests, salt and pepper. Put the chicken in a large plastic bag that seals, and pour in the wet mixture. Add the orange and lemon slices, as well as the garlic cloves.
After sealing the bag, make sure the entire chicken is covered with the marinade. Refrigerate for 2 to 24 hours before roasting.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. If you like, you can stuff some of the garlic cloves and citrus slices under the skin or in the cavity of the chicken. Roast the chicken for 45-55 minutes, or until a meat thermometer reads 165 degrees.
Balsamic Apple-Date Challah
Makes 2 medium loaves
For the dough:
1 1⁄2 Tbs. dry yeast
1 tsp. sugar
1 1⁄4 cups lukewarm water
5 cups flour
1⁄2 Tbs. salt
1⁄2 cup sugar
2 Tbs. honey
2 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. cinnamon
1⁄4 tsp. nutmeg
1⁄4 cup vegetable oil
2 whole eggs
1 egg yolk
For the filling:
3 gala apples, peeled and diced
1 cup pitted dates, chopped
1⁄2 tsp. salt
1 cinnamon stick
1⁄4 cup water
1⁄4 cup red wine
1 Tbs. sugar
2 Tbs. balsamic vinegar
For the topping:
1 egg
1 tsp. water
1 tsp. honey
1 Tbs. thick sea salt
1 Tbs. sanding sugar (large crystals for decorating)
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
For the dough: In a small bowl, place yeast, 1 tsp. sugar and lukewarm water. Allow to sit around 10 minutes, until it becomes foamy on top.
In a large bowl or stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment, mix together 11⁄2 cups flour, salt, sugar, honey, vanilla, cinnamon and nutmeg. After the water-yeast mixture has become foamy, add to flour mixture along with oil. Mix thoroughly. Add another cup of flour and eggs until smooth. Switch to the dough hook attachment if you are using a stand mixer.
Add another 1 1⁄2 cups flour and then remove from bowl and place on a floured surface. Knead remaining flour into dough, continuing to knead for around 10 minutes (or however long your hands will last). Place dough in a greased bowl and cover with damp towel. Allow to rise 3-4 hours.
To make the filling, place apples, dates, salt, cinnamon stick, water, red wine and sugar in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Continue to simmer on medium heat until the mixture is reduced. Add the balsamic vinegar and simmer another 2-3 minutes. The mixture will cook around 10-15 minutes in total. Remove from the heat and allow to cool 5 minutes. Remove cinnamon stick.
Place mixture in a food processor fitted with a blade attachment and pulse until smooth. After the challah is done rising, cut the dough in half to form two balls. To be as precise as possible, use a scale to measure the weight.
Using a rolling pin, roll out the first ball into a rectangle. Spread around half, or slightly less, of the apple-date mixture in an even layer, leaving 1⁄2 inch around the edges without filling. Working quickly, start rolling up the dough toward you. Try to keep the roll relatively tight as you go. Pinch the end when you finish.
Create a pinwheel-shaped loaf by snaking the dough around and around into a spiral. Tuck the end under the challah neatly and pinch lightly. This doesn’t have to be perfect.
Repeat with other half of dough. Allow challahs to rise another 30-60 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. For topping, beat egg with 1 tsp. each water and honey. Brush liberally over each challah. Combine sea salt, sanding sugar and cinnamon, and sprinkle over challah.
Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until middle looks like it has just set, and the color is golden.
Shannon Sarna is editor of the Nosher blog on MyJewishLearning.com, where these recipes originally appeared.