Apples, Honey, Pomegranates, Oh My!

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Sensational recipes for Rosh Hashanah.

Apples, honey, pomegranates, carrots, leeks, and other symbolic foods grace our tables for Rosh Hashanah and give us the opportunity to make special blessings for the year. I like to create recipes that highlight and showcase some of those special foods in sensational holiday recipes. Try these showstoppers and enjoy your Yom Tov and may you have a sweet new year filled with blessing.

Honey, Dijon and Soy Glazed Salmon

Honey, Dijon and Soy Glazed SalmonServes 10 – 12

Super simple and tasty. A make-ahead Yom Tov item!

  • 1 tablespoon brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon honey
  • 2 teaspoons margarine
  • 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 2 teaspoons fresh ginger
  • 1 whole salmon fillet, (2 ½ pounds, ¾ to 1 inch thick)
  • 2 lemons, halved
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • Garnish with chives

Preheat oven to 400° F or grill to medium heat. In a small saucepan, melt brown sugar, honey and margarine. Whisk in mustard, soy sauce, olive oil and ginger. Cool slightly.

Place salmon skin side down on aluminum foil on a large baking sheet. Leave a foil border of ¼ to ½ inch. Coat salmon with honey mixture.Dip each lemon half in sugar. Place lemons around salmon. Bake salmon for 20 minutes or grill salmon indirectly over medium heat until edges begin to brown and inside is opaque, 15 to 25 minutes – depending on thickness of fish and desired degree of doneness.

Serve salmon warm or at room temperature with caramelized lemons alongside. I like to squeeze the sweet lemons over the salmon before serving but they are a beautiful garnish too. Add chives for garnish.

Chai Tea and Roasted Garlic Spiced Chicken

Chai Tea and Roasted Garlic Spiced ChickenServes 8

Tea is a super trendy flavor enhancer today. This is both sweet and savory and makes the house smell incredible while it cooks!

  • ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • 3 tablespoons crushed loose chai tea, from 6 – 7 tea bags
  • 1 head roasted garlic **
  • 2 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
  • ¾ teaspoon pepper
  • 2 chickens, cut into 1/8’s
  • 2 lemons, halved
  • 2 tablespoons honey, divided
  • 1 cup white wine, divided
  • ¼ cup pomegranate seeds
  • Fresh mint or 1 pomegranate quartered, for garnish
  • Additional head roasted garlic, for garnish

Preheat oven to 375° F.

In a small bowl, mix olive oil, tea, roasted garlic pulp, salt and pepper. Stir well.

Place chicken in a single layer, skin side up, in 2 baking pans. Rub the chai mixture all over the chicken pieces and under the skin. Place 2 lemon halves in each pan, snuggled between pieces of chicken. Roast in oven for 30 minutes. Carefully, remove chicken from oven. Drizzle each tray of chicken with 1 tablespoon of honey and pour ½ cup white wine around chicken. Return to oven and bake an additional 30 minutes or until browned and thickest part of breast registers an internal temperature of 165° F.

Serve chicken on platter with pan juices. Squeeze caramelized lemons on top or serve alongside as garnish. Sprinkle with fresh mint, pomegranate seeds and place pomegranate quarters and additional head of garlic on platter as garnish.

How to Roast Garlic

  • 1 head garlic
  • 1 to 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, as needed
  • 1 teaspoon honey*** For Rosh Hashanah or for sweet roasted garlic

Preheat oven to 400° F.

Slice the top off the head of the garlic. Set the garlic on a large piece of aluminum foil.

Drizzle oil and honey, if using, over the garlic, allowing the oil to cover the garlic completely. Wrap tightly with the foil and place directly on wire rack. Roast for 45 minutes, or until the garlic is softened. Remove from oven to cool, and then squeeze the roasted garlic from the skins.

Pulled BBQ Beef Brisket

Pulled BBQ Beef BrisketServes 10

I often serve this as an appetizer in lettuce cups sprinkled with pomegranate seeds or with chunky mashed potatoes. Make sure you drizzle it with lots of extra sauce.

  • 1/4 cup brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon chile powder
  • 1 tablespoon paprika
  • 2 teaspoons garlic powder
  • 2 teaspoons kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 1 (5 pound) brisket
  • 2 onions, sliced
  • 1 cup beer
  • 1 bottle good barbecue sauce
  • ¾ cup pomegranate seeds
  • To serve, butter lettuce, mashed potatoes, or basmati rice

Stir together the brown sugar, chile powder, paprika, garlic powder, salt, black pepper and cayenne in a small bowl. Rub the mixture all over the brisket. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for several hours or preferably overnight.

Preheat the oven to 300° F.

Place onions in a large roasting pan. Put the brisket top of the onions. Cover tightly with foil and roast until fork-tender and falling apart, about 3 ½ - 4 ½ hours. Remove the brisket from the pan, discard cooking liquid and set it on a cutting board. When cool enough to handle, shred meat with two forks and return to roasting pan.

Place beer and BBQ sauce in a medium pot on the stove over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to simmer (if too thick, add ½ cup hot water), and cook for 15 minutes or until sauce is thick and reduced a bit. Pour sauce over shredded meat. Rewarm covered.

Serve with sauce in lettuce cups, on hamburger or slider buns, or over mashed potatoes or basmati rice. Sprinkle with pomegranate seeds.

Make ahead: Make this a day or two ahead of time so that the flavors absorb completely. Also freezes well.

Candied Carrots and Leeks

Candied Carrots and LeeksServes 6 – 8

Don’t fret if you are not a curry lover. The combination of coconut oil, sweet carrots, and cinnamon gives these carrots a mysterious sweetness and fantastic flavor. I like the colorful package of purple, yellow and orange carrots that are available year round from Trader Joe’s.

  • 2 tablespoons coconut oil
  • 2 lbs colorful carrots, peeled and sliced in 4-inch by ½-inch thick diagonal slices
  • 2 leeks, white parts, sliced
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon curry powder
  • pinch of cinnamon
  • ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley or cilantro

In a large skillet or cast iron pan, heat coconut oil until melted and hot. Add carrots and leeks, and cook undisturbed for 4 minutes. Toss and turn, and cook an additional 4 minutes, until vegetables are slightly caramelized but still hold their shape. Add salt, pepper, curry and cinnamon and toss. Cook an additional 3 minutes. Stir in parsley. Serve warm.

Mesclun Salad with Apples
and Sweet Champagne Vinaigrette

Mesclun Salad with Apples and Sweet Champagne VinaigretteServes 8

Dressing

  • ¼ cup mayonnaise
  • ¼ cup maple syrup
  • 3 tablespoons champagne
  • ½ cup canola oil

Salad

  • 6 – 8 cups mesclun and arugula, mixed
  • 2 red or green apples, sliced
  • 1 cup sliced hearts of palm
  • ½ cup craisins or dried cranberries
  • Toasted candied nut, optional

In a container with a fitted lid, place all dressing ingredients. Cover and shake vigorously until fully blended.

In a large bowl, combine all salad ingredients. Pour dressing over salad and toss. Serve immediately.

Apple Roses

Apple Roses

Recipe by CookingwithManuela
Makes 6 roses

Food and recipe sharing is a big part of becoming a seasoned and inspired cook. I get ideas and recipes from readers and other bloggers all the time. My friends at kiss the kosher cook shared this one with me but credit must be given to Manuela for her creativity!

  • 1 frozen puff pastry sheet, thawed
  • 2 red apples (I used red delicious)
  • Juice from a half lemon
  • 1 tablespoon of flour, to sprinkle the counter
  • 3 tablespoons of apricot preserves
  • ¼ teaspoon cinnamon (optional)
  • Garnish: powdered sugar

Place puff pastry in refrigerator or counter to thaw slightly.

Cut the apples in half, remove the core and cut the apples in paper thin slices. Place apples in a medium sized bowl, add lemon juice and enough water to just cover.

Microwave the apples in the bowl, for about 3 minutes, to make them slightly softer. If you prefer, you can also simmer the apple slices in the water in a small pan (on the stove).

Unwrap the puff pastry over a clean and lightly floured counter. Using a rolling pin stretch the dough a little, trying to keep it in a rectangular shape. Cut the dough in 6 strips. These are about 2 in x 9 in.

In a bowl, place three tablespoons of apricot preserve with two tablespoons of water. Microwave for about one minute, so that the preserve will be easier to spread. Spread the preserve on the dough.

Preheat the oven to 375° F. Drain the apples.

Place the apples on the dough, as shown in my picture. Sprinkle with cinnamon if you'd like. Fold up the bottom part of the dough.

Carefully roll, seal the edge, and place in a silicone muffin cup or grease muffin tin.

Do the same for all 6 roses. Bake at 375° F for about 40-45 minutes, until fully cooked.

NOTE: make sure the pastry is fully cooked on the inside before removing the roses from the oven! If after 30 minutes the apples on top look fully cooked, move the pan to a lower rack in the oven, and wait for 10-15 more minutes to avoid undercooking the puff pastry.

Sprinkle with powdered sugar.

For more High Holiday recipes, click here.

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