Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, begins on Wednesday evening, Oct. 2.
A favorite saying on Rosh Hashanah is “We should be heads and not tails,” which refers to a wish for success at school, at work and in general. To allude to this motto, it’s customary to eat fish during the holiday’s ceremonial dinner and to serve it with its head on; in some households even a lamb’s or goat’s head is served. These days many people modify this tradition; friends of ours who used to follow this custom now serve fish fillets and display a drawing of a whole fish instead of the real thing.
This year we’ll prepare our take on a New Orleans seafood boil that is classically made with shellfish as well as potatoes and corn. We substitute tilapia, a kosher fish, and cook it as a sheet pan dinner with the same vegetables and the dish’s seasoning.
“Have a good and sweet year!” is a popular greeting on the holiday. Several dishes in our Rosh Hashanah menu have touches of sweetness: Grapes in our chickpea and hearts of palm rice salad; peaches and plums in our green salad; and sweet tomatoes in our couscous and quinoa salad.
We’ll serve a healthy, fruity dessert too — mango and banana pudding topped with berries and Greek yogurt. To give it Rosh Hashanah flair, we’ll drizzle the fruit with honey.
New Orleans Style Fish Baked with Potatoes and Corn
Fish is traditional on Jewish New Year’s dinner menus. We’re serving our kosher version of a Louisiana seafood boil, which we make with tilapia as an easy sheet pan dinner accompanied by baby tomatoes and lightly cooked chard and zucchini.
Yield: 2 servings
INGREDIENTS
1/2 pound small yellow or red potatoes, or some of each
1/2 ear corn, halved lengthwise
1 small onion, sliced
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons seafood seasoning
8 ounces mild fish fillets, such as tilapia
1 lemon, cut in wedges
Chopped Italian parsley or cilantro, or a mixture (for sprinkling)
6 spiced pecans (optional garnish)
DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat air fryer oven or conventional oven to 400 degrees.
2. Cut a small slit in each potato and place whole potatoes in a microwave-safe bowl. Add 2 tablespoons water; microwave on high for 5 minutes. Rinse potatoes in cold water until cool enough to handle.
3. Microwave corn half, covered, 3 minutes. When cool enough to handle, cut in 2-inch pieces.
4. Halve potatoes lengthwise; place in a bowl. Add corn and onion. Add 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil and 1 teaspoon seafood seasoning; stir to coat. Transfer to a foil-lined baking pan.
5. Place fish on a plate and add remaining 1/2 tablespoon olive oil and 1/2 teaspoon seafood seasoning.
6. Roast potato mixture in oven for about 10 minutes or until cooked through. Remove and keep warm.
7. Put fish fillets on foil-lined baking pan in oven and roast for 7 to 10 minutes or until they can be flaked with a fork.
8. Serve fish, potatoes and corn with lemon and parsley or cilantro. Garnish with pecans.
Chickpeas and Hearts of Palm Rice Salad with Grapes gets a festive zing from spiced cashews and feta cheese. (Photo by Yakir Levy)
Chickpeas and Hearts of Palm Rice Salad with Grapes
This easy to prepare salad makes use of low-carb no-cook hearts of palm rice, and ready to eat chickpeas. Red grapes, spiced cashews and feta cheese add a festive touch.
Yield: 4 servings
INGREDIENTS
8 ounces hearts of palm rice
1 to 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 to 2 teaspoons Hatch pepper seasoning or all purpose seasoning, or to taste
9 ounces cooked chickpeas, drained
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1 to 2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 to 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
3 mini cucumbers, diced
1 1/2 cups red grapes, halved
1/3 to 1/2 cup feta cheese, crumbled
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
2 tablespoons chopped Italian parsley
1/4 cup spiced cashews
DIRECTIONS
1. Prepare rice according to package instructions. Add 1/2 tablespoon olive oil and 1/2 teaspoon Hatch pepper seasoning.
2. Combine chickpeas with 1/2 tablespoon olive oil. Add lemon juice, more of the pepper seasoning and smoked paprika.
3. Combine rice and chickpea mixtures. Add cucumbers, grapes, cheese, and salt and pepper. Taste; adjust seasoning. Serve cold or at room temperature, topped with parsley and cashews.
Green Salad with Peppers, Peaches and Plums is dressed with rice vinegar and extra virgin olive oil. (Photo by Yakir Levy)
Green Salad with Peppers, Peaches, Plums and Pecans
For this sweet and savory salad, we mix salad greens with peach and plum wedges, sliced sweet peppers and diced mini cucumbers, and dress the salad with a light-textured dressing of rice vinegar and extra virgin olive oil.
Yield: 6 to 8 servings
INGREDIENTS
8 cups (about 8 ounces) spring mix, other salad greens or chopped romaine
2 peaches or nectarines, sliced
2 plums, sliced
3 mini cucumbers, diced
2 large red bell peppers, sliced
2 green onions, finely chopped (optional)
Rice Vinegar Dressing and Pecan Garnish:
1/2 cup rice vinegar–plain or seasoned
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
Salt to taste
2 to 3 teaspoons mild or hot Hatch pepper powder, to taste
1/2 to 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, to taste
16 to 20 spiced pecans (garnish)
DIRECTIONS
1. Combine greens, peaches, plums, cucumbers and peppers in a large shallow bowl. Toss to mix. Top with chopped green onions.
2. Dressing: Whisk vinegar with olive oil, salt and both kinds of pepper in a medium bowl. Dip a lettuce leaf in the dressing; taste and adjust seasoning.
3. Just before serving, toss salad with enough dressing to coat it. Top with spiced pecans.
Mango and Banana Pudding with Berries and Greek Yogurt is adapted from a recipe for a Latin America agua fresca. (Photo by Yakir Levy)
Mango and Banana Pudding with Berries and Greek Yogurt
I adapted this pudding recipe from a Latin American agua fresca, a sweet beverage.
To make it, you blend a mango with a banana, milk, and sugar if desired. If you’d like a dessert with zip, add a roasted semi-hot pepper. We enjoy it topped with Greek yogurt and a colorful mixture of berries. For a sweet touch for the Jewish New Year, drizzle the pudding with honey.
Yield: 2 servings
INGREDIENTS
1 large mango, halved, peeled and pitted
1 banana, sliced
1 mild Hatch or Anaheim Pepper, roasted, peeled and seeded (optional)
1 cup dairy or plant-based milk, more if needed
Sugar to taste (optional)
2 or 3 tablespoons Greek yogurt
1/3 cup mixed berries, such as raspberries, blackberries and blueberries
Honey (for drizzling)
DIRECTIONS
1. Blend mango, banana, pepper (if using) and milk in a blender. Add more milk if necessary to adjust dessert’s thickness. Add sugar to taste.
2. Divide pudding between two dessert dishes. Spoon yogurt onto center of each and top with berries. Serve cold, with honey.
Cauliflower Steaks with Chickpeas and Hazelnut Dressing is more colorful when made with purple cauliflower, but you can use any variety you like. (Photo by Yakir Levy)
Cauliflower Steaks with Chickpeas and Hazelnut Dressing
Purple cauliflower makes this dish colorful but use any cauliflower you like. It is based on a recipe in “Diabetes Cookbook for Dummies” by Dr. Simon Poole and Amy Riolo, with Dr. Alan Rubin. To roast the hazelnuts, I use an air fryer toaster oven. The skins come off when I rub them lightly with my fingers, without needing the usual step of rubbing the roasted nuts in a towel or strainer.
Yield: 4 servings
INGREDIENTS
1/3 cup hazelnuts
1 large or 2 small heads cauliflower
2 to 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, or to taste
1 cup cooked chickpeas
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/8 teaspoon salt
Pepper to taste
1 teaspoon hazelnut oil
2 tablespoons sherry vinegar or white wine vinegar
Chopped parsley (optional)
DIRECTIONS
1. Roast hazelnuts on baking sheet at 250 degrees in an air fryer toaster oven for 6 minutes (or longer in a conventional oven), or until their skins begin to split. Transfer nuts to a plate. Rub nuts lightly to remove skins. Chop nuts.
2. Preheat oven to 400 to 425 degrees. To slice cauliflower into steaks: Cut off cauliflower stem; carefully cut cauliflower in half from top down with a sharp chef’s knife. Place each half cut-side down on a cutting board. Cut off rounded edges, leaving 2 flat steaks roughly 1/2 inch thick. Put them on a baking sheet. (Save rounded edges, which are crumbly, for salads or soups.) With a paring knife, trim off remaining leaves or stems. Drizzle steaks with 1 tablespoon olive oil.
3. Combine chickpeas with coriander, paprika, salt, pepper and 1 tablespoon olive oil. Spread on baking sheet with cauliflower.
4. Roast about 15 minutes. Carefully flip cauliflower; stir chickpeas. Bake another 15 minutes or until cauliflower is golden. Transfer to a plate.
5. Combine hazelnut oil, hazelnuts and vinegar in a small bowl. Mix well with a fork. Spoon over cauliflower and chickpeas. Serve sprinkled with parsley.
Moroccan Pepper Salad with Tomatoes is based on a North African pepper stew called matbuhal. (Photo by Yakir Levy)
Moroccan Pepper Salad with Tomatoes
I learned how to prepare this popular North African pepper stew known as matbuha when I lived in Israel. It is often called a cooked salad. Usually it is served as an appetizer with bread or as a side dish. Garlic and hot peppers add zing but do not overwhelm the dish; their flavors mellow during cooking.
Yield: 6 to 8 servings
INGREDIENTS
5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
4 large green peppers, cut into 1/2-inch dice
3 pounds ripe tomatoes, peeled, seeded and diced, or 3 (28-ounce) cans plum tomatoes, drained and diced
Salt to taste
3 jalapeños or other hot peppers, cored, seeded and finely diced
6 to 8 large cloves garlic, chopped
DIRECTIONS
1. Heat 1/4 cup olive oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add green peppers and saute until tender, about 15 minutes. Remove with slotted spoon.
2. Add tomatoes and salt to pan. Cook uncovered over medium-low heat until thickened, about 15 minutes. Add sauteed peppers, jalapenos and garlic. Cook over low heat until stew is thick, about 10 minutes. Off the heat, stir in remaining 1 tablespoon oil. Taste for salt. Serve at room temperature.
Couscous and Quinoa Salad with Edamame and Mint can be made with farro or wheat berries instead of couscous. (Photo by Yakir Levy)
Couscous and Quinoa Salad with Tomatoes, Edamame and Mint
We make this salad, a favorite of ours, from white and red quinoa, couscous and edamame, along with tomatoes, green onions and mint. Instead of couscous, you can use farro or wheat berries. The salad is based on a recipe in “Melissa’s Hatch Pepper Cookbook.”
Yield: 4 or 5 servings
INGREDIENTS
1 cup cooked couscous
1/2 a 9-ounce package cooked white and red quinoa
5 ounces cooked shelled edamame
5 ounces small ripe tomatoes, diced or sliced
3 green onions, thinly sliced
1 bunch Italian parsley, finely chopped
1/4 cup finely chopped mint, plus a few whole mint leaves for garnish
Dressing:
1 small hot or semi-hot pepper, roasted, peeled and seeded
1 small clove garlic, peeled
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
DIRECTIONS
1. Mix couscous, quinoa and edamame in a large bowl. Add tomatoes, green onions, parsley and chopped mint; mix gently.
2. Dressing: Blend roasted hot pepper, garlic, olive oil, vinegar, salt and pepper in a mini food processor or blender.
3. Fold dressing into salad. Taste and adjust seasoning. Serve garnished with mint leaves.
Faye Levy is the author of “1,000 Jewish Recipes.”
