Before I get into this month’s menu, just a housekeeping note: I have been delighted to send recipes to everyone who has reached out, but for those of us who don’t read the fine print, all recipes in my articles are available just for the asking! Please email me at [email protected] and I will promptly provide whichever ones tempt you.
Chanukah, a beacon of brightness and light in a sometimes dark world; let’s celebrate with a delicious Shabbat Chanukah menu. To make the dining room quickly festive, I hang curly ribbons of blues and whites from the chandelier.
I like to serve a yummy soup to ward off winter’s chill, so we start with Mushroom-Spinach Soup. This hearty bowl has warming Middle Eastern spices and just enough spinach that hubby enjoys it without any issues. There is a saying in his family, “Heaven forbid it should be healthy.” Let’s just say that as a kallah, I had my work cut out for me!
Next, a refresher Salad of Winter Greens. This beautiful salad features different shades of green: Belgian endive, arugula and chicory, with Mcintosh apple slices macerated in bourbon.
Our entrée is a lively combination of flavors, Citrus Chicken with Dates and Olives. It is so fast and easy, the name is almost longer than the recipe!
To accompany the chicken, I have selected a side dish of Skillet Glazed Vegetables. Everyone roasts root vegetables in the oven this time of year and I love that, but we can change things up with this simple, flavorful offering.
I know you’re waiting to see which latke recipe I prepare, but the truth is I really, really don’t like to fry food. I much prefer to serve a scrumptious Potato Tart with Thyme and an Asian Pear-Apple Sauce. It’s an unexpected twist that elevates the meal in a wonderful way.
But for dessert, no one should avoid the Chanukah appeal of doughnuts, and no one’s is better than Ina Gartin’s Cinnamon Baked Doughnuts, made pareve with almond milk. Bring out your tea chest and best coffee for these great treats!
From our home to yours, sparkling wishes for a lovely Chanukah and may the lights of all our menorot be a beacon to bring our precious hostages home now.
Citrus Chicken With Dates and Olives
Ingredients:
- 8 pieces of chicken
- coarse salt and cracked pepper
- 3 tablespoons EVOO
- 1 each lemon and orange, quartered
- 1/4 cup dry white wine
- 1/2 cup orange juice
- fresh thyme sprigs
- Medjool dates, pitted
- Large green olives, such as Castelvetrano
Directions:
Preheat oven to 450 F.
In a large roasting pan, season chicken with salt and pepper; drizzle with olive oil.
Squeeze lemon and orange over chicken, then add fruit to pan. Add wine, orange juice and thyme sprigs; roast 25 minutes.
Remove pan from oven, rotating chicken pieces if browning unevenly. Scatter over handfuls of olives and dates; roast 15 minutes more. Transfer chicken and citrus to a serving platter.
Place roasting pan over high heat, mashing some of the dates, until sauce is reduced a bit and thickened, about 5 minutes.
Pour over chicken and serve.
(adapted from Martha Stewart)
Potato Tart With Thyme
Ingredients:
- 1 stick vegan butter, melted
- 2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes
- fresh thyme leaves
- kosher salt and cracked black pepper
Directions:
Preheat oven to 425 F. Spray the bottom and sides of a pareve quiche pan or glass deep dish pie plate with non-stick cooking spray.
Peel and thinly slice potatoes, on a mandolin if you have one. In a large bowl, toss the potato slices with half the vegan butter.
In the pie plate, arrange one-third of the potatoes overlapping in a circular pattern forming one layer. Season with salt and pepper and scatter over thyme leaves.
Repeat with the remaining potatoes and thyme, pressing down on each layer to ensure an even thickness. Brush the top of the tart with the remaining melted vegan butter and season with salt and pepper to taste.
Bake 45 minutes to an hour, until potatoes are cooked through. Slide onto a serving platter and cut into wedges to serve with Asian Pear-Apple Sauce.
Asian Pear-Apple Sauce
Ingredients:
- 2 medium Pink Lady apples, peeled, seeded and chopped into 1/2-inch pieces
- 1 large Asian pear, peeled, seeded and chopped into 1/2-inch pieces
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon water
- 2 star anise
Directions:
In a large saucepan, combine apple and pear pieces, lemon juice, water and star anise. Cover and cook over medium-high heat until soft, 10-12 minutes.
Uncover, reduce heat to medium, and cook, occasionally mashing the fruit to a thick compote, 5 minutes. Transfer to a small bowl and let cool.
Makes two cups of sauce.
(adapted from Rachael Ray and from Katy Peetz, The Tasting Table)
Dorene Richman has taught cooking classes, written recipe columns and was the Recipe Testing Coordinator for the original award-winning “Kosher Palette” cookbook. She is a passionate cook and baker for whom cooking is therapy, as well as being a pescatarian, so no meat recipes are featured. For the rest of the above recipes, she can be reached at [email protected].
