Apple Roses

Pretty Food is a category I enjoy - artistic expression using the medium of food.

I saw many versions of these online, too many to keep track of, but finally nailed it. They are really pretty, and the symbolism of rose and apple matches both Rosh Hashanah and Shavuot. Symbolic foods are especially fun, in my book.

I had never worked with puff pastry before. It is readily available. Buy a two sheet package. It's nice to work with - I was always a little scared of it.

Muffin tin for a dozen - spray well with oil.

Two sheets puff pastry - 1.1 lbs
2-3 very red apples. The skin color is key here.

Blueberries, optional

Lemon juice
cinnamon/sugar mixture
flour for flouring the board you roll them out on
red jam (your choice of flavor) - a few tablespoons, or Rosh Hashanah, honey!
3 T melted butter or margarine (the puff pastry can be parve, if that is an issue). Then these are vegan.

Leave the puff pastry at room temperature ahead of working with for an hour or so.

Core the apples by cutting them in half and scooping out the core, or use a corer. (We have one in Chestertown.)
Slice them as thinly as you can. Some people use a mandolin, though I don't have one.

Put the sliced apples in a dish, cover with water and a little lemon juice so they don't discolor, and microwave for 3-4 minutes. You want them to be very pliable but not mushy. Strain them in a colander.

Flour a board for rolling out a sheet of puff pastry til it's about 12 x 14. Cut it, the shorter way, into 6 strips with a pizza cutter.

Spread the jam over each strip, and sprinkle with the cinnamon/sugar mixture.

Take 6 to seven apple slices and lay them across the top 1/4 of the strip, overlapping and extending beyond the top. Fold over the puff pastry and start rolling . If the apple slices slip out you can keep easing them back in. Flatten a bit and set in the greased muffin tin. 
Sprinkle more cinnamon/sugar on top of each, and spread melted butter or margarine on each to help it to crisp up.

I was running short of apples and threw in a few blueberries. They look really pretty!

Bake at 350 for about 35-40 minutes.

Sprinkle with powdered sugar before you serve, to gild the lily, so to speak!

PS it seems like you could poach the apples in some red wine and color them, which would be even prettier. Plan ahead and try it!

Claudia Roden Persian Chicken w Apricots, Pistachios, Pomegranate Syrup

This beautiful recipe was featured in Hadassah Magazine. It's perfect for Sukkot. I've made it several times in Chestertown, since it keeps well for winter shabbatot when you cook in advance. 

I have made some changes, like adding rice for the last stage, making it a kind of arroz con pollo. The biggest task in this recipe is browning the chicken, which I find is hard to do. But, it pulls the juices into the pan for the sauce and, I think, prevents the chicken from getting soggy?

2 T sunflower oil
2 onions, chopped
8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (they are usually sold six to a package. 8 barely fit in a big skillet.)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
7 oz soft dried apricots, chopped
1 t ground cinnamon
1 t ground coriander
1 T pomegranate molasses
Juice of 1/2 lemon

optional: 3/4 c. of rice plus extra water
Generous 1/2 cup pistachios, coarsely chopped

1. Warm the sunflower oil in a large sauté pan (with a lid) over low heat. Add the onions and cook, with the lid on, stirring often, for about 10 minutes, until soft and golden. 

2. In a second saute pan, with a lid, put the chicken thighs into the pan, skin-side down, add salt and pepper and cook over medium heat, with the lid on, for about 10 minutes, until the skin releases its fat and the chicken pieces are well browned. Turn them over and cook the other side for 10 minutes, until browned, adding more salt and pepper. 

3. Add the apricots and add the onions to the pan, lifting the chicken pieces so that they sit on top of the apricots and onions.

4. Measure 3/4 cup water into a liquid measuring cup, stir in the cinnamon, coriander, pomegranate molasses and lemon juice and pour over the chicken.

5. Optional: add 3/4 c. rice plus the appropriate amount of liquid (can be a little less than for just cooking rice, since you're also adding the 3/4 c water in Step 4.

Cook, covered, over low heat for 25 minutes, until the chicken is very tender and cooked through and the liquid is reduced.

5. Serve the chicken sprinkled with the pistachios. It's not super-colorful but very, very delicious!

Sweet Potato Beet Apple Gypsy Soup

In the 90s I made a soup for Rosh Hashanah that I found in the Nutrition Action Newsletter, which I subscribed to for a time. I loved the soup but lost the recipe. I even went so far as to look at back issues online, but no luck. I think that's the only recipe I ever lost and longed for! It is a version of the Moosewood Gypsy Soup, I have since discovered.

I made it for Rosh Hashanah because of all the sweet ingredients: sweet potatoes, beets, ginger, and apples. It is super nutritious since it also has chickpeas.

Yael Kalman posted a similar Instant Pot version which I tweaked and I think this is now pretty close to the original.

It makes a giant pot of gorgeous color soup. The beets contribute their color to the collective; it's not as thick as lentil or split pea based soups. If you have Indian ginger-garlic paste, it saves some effort.

2 T oil (or butter if you don't mind it being dairy)
1 large onion, diced
2-3 ribs celery, chopped
3 cloves garlic
2 t. ginger paste or finely grated fresh ginger
1 t. salt
1 t. paprika
1 t. cumin (ground)
½ t. turmeric
½ t. coriander
1 t. cinnamon

1 can chopped tomatoes (petite saves time)
2 largish sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped
1 or 2 peeled, chopped apples
2 or 3 peeled, chopped beets (you can now find these vacuum packed, a time saver - if you like beets, just use the whole package)

1 can chickpeas, drained
2 -3 whole carrots, diced

optional: a few stems of chopped kale
6 cups vegetable stock (Telma/Israeli + hot water is fine)
Lemon and/or lime juice (about 2 T.)
brown sugar or agave -  about 1 T

hot siracha or other heat, optional
Parsley or cilantro for garnish


In a large soup pot, heat the oil and sauté the onions, garlic, celery, and ginger until soft and transparent.

Add the spices til incorporated.

Add tomatoes, sweet potatoes, chickpeas, apples, and beets.

Add the stock and bring to a boil. Cook about 40 minutes, or a few hours in the Wonderbag.

Add the lemon or lime juice and sugar, and the kale, if you decide to include. 

Using an immersion blender, process until it's thicker but leave lots of chunks of vegetables. Add salt and pepper to taste. Red chili flakes or chili sauce, if you like, to give a little heat.

Serve with chopped parsley or cilantro.

Yellow Split Pea Soup

I found this online, trying to figure out how to cook yellow split 
Not hard, quick, beautiful, very filling and delicious.

Egyptian Yellow Lentil Soup (adapted from Dinner With Julie)
Yield: 4 – 6 servings

Ingredients:

• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion, diced
• 2 – 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 Tbsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp turmeric
• 1/2 tsp ground cayenne pepper (optional)
• 2 cups yellow lentils, rinsed and picked over - this is a 16 oz bag (1 lb)
• 6-7 cups stock
• 1 carrot, diced
• 1 tomato, diced
• optional: one c. shredded cabbage
• 3 – 4 sprigs fresh parsley, roughly chopped
• salt and pepper, to taste

Method:

1. In a large pot heat 1 Tbsp olive oil over medium heat, then sauté 1 onion, diced until translucent and starting to caramelize, about 10 minutes.
2. Add 2 – 3 cloves garlic, minced, 1/2 Tbsp ground cumin, 1/2 tsp turmeric, and 1/2 tsp ground cayenne pepper, if using. Sauté until fragrant, about 30 seconds to 1 minute.
3. Add 2 cups yellow lentils, rinsed and picked over, 6 cups stock, 1 carrot, diced, and 1 tomato, diced, and bring to a boil, then lower heat, and let simmer until the lentils are cooked and nearly falling apart, about 20 – 30 minutes.
4. Stir in 3 – 4 sprigs fresh parsley, roughly chopped.
5. If desired, using a blender or immersion blender, puree the soup to desired consistency. I like it to retain some of the chopped vegetables.
6. Add salt and pepper, to taste. 

Jane Brody's Unstuffed Cabbage

I don't know if this is in her cookbooks - I found it in a magazine.  It is perfect for sukkot, since it is a one dish meal, basically.  Add challah, salad, dessert - good to go.
I can't find any ground turkey this year so I may make it with ready-to-go veggie meatballs.  This is perfect for cooks, like moi, who don't like to spend a lot of time making stuffed cabbage.
A nice accompaniment is a bowl of boiled red bliss potatoes.  Or you could peel baking potatoes, chop them in eights or so, and cook them in the stew.

Ingredients

• 1 large onion, diced
• 2 lbs cabbage, sliced
• 1 (8 ounce) cans tomato sauce
• 1 (28 ounce) cans chopped tomatoes, with juice
• 1 cup water
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1/4 cup lemon juice

• 1 lb ground beef

• 1/2 cup white rice, raw

• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

  
  

  or substitute 2 pkg vegetarian meatballs, quartered

• salt and pepper
• 1/2 cup raisins (optional)

Directions

1. In a large, heavy pot combine the first 7 ingredients; bring to boil.
2. Meanwhile make meatballs with beef, rice, Worcestershire sauce and add to pot; reduce heat to low and simmer for 2 hours.
3. If desired, add raisins and cook an additional 15 minutes.