As Rosh Hashanah approaches, it’s time to plan the menu for your holiday gathering. A modern Rosh Hashanah menu often blends cherished traditions with contemporary flavors, creating a festive table that’s both meaningful and delicious. I recommend you try a lineup of dishes that not only complement one another beautifully but also highlight the central theme of the holiday — a sweet new year. These recipes are perfect for those looking to honor tradition while adding something new. Apples and honey, long-standing symbols of sweetness and hope, will of course make appearances. Alongside them, you’ll find other symbolic ingredients prepared in creative ways that breathe new life into old customs.
As an alternative or addition to the usual brisket or roasted chicken, consider a fish dish. Eating fish during Rosh Hashanah, particularly fish heads, is symbolic of the idea that we are “heads, not tails” — aspiring leaders, not followers — in the coming year. Fish is also seen as a good omen, a symbol of good things to come.
Don’t forget the challah, especially the round, raisin version, made using one of the recipes I shared last month. Whether you’re hosting a large gathering or an intimate meal, these dishes will bring warmth, joy and a touch of sweetness to your celebration. Let’s get ready to welcome the new year with food that is as thoughtful as it is tasty. L’Shanah tovah! Happy New Year from my kitchen to yours.
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Pomegranate Seed Walnut Salad
Serves 4
With a big holiday meal, a simple salad is the way to go.
6 cups romaine, rinsed
1 cup pomegranate seeds
2/3 cup chopped walnuts
1 cup low-fat crumbled feta cheese
Vinaigrette:
6 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon honey
Salt and pepper, to taste
Add all vinaigrette ingredients to a small bowl and whisk together. Set aside.
Add romaine, pomegranate seeds, and walnuts to a bowl and toss together with all of the balsamic vinaigrette.
Divide the salad among 4 plates and top with feta.
Sweet Glazed Salmon
Serves 4 — increase the amount of marinade
Instead of the usual brisket or roasted chicken, consider a fish dish. Eating fish during Rosh Hashanah, particularly fish heads, is symbolic of the idea that we are “heads, not tails,” aspiring leaders, not followers in the coming year. Fish is also seen as a good omen, a symbol of good things to come.
1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil, divided, plus 1 tablespoon for the skillet
2 cloves garlic, minced
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup low-sodium soy sauce
1 lemon, juiced
2 teaspoons honey
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
4 (6 ounce) fillets salmon
1 tablespoon olive oil
Heat 1/2 teaspoon olive oil in a small skillet over medium-high heat. Sauté garlic in hot oil just until it starts to brown, then turn off heat.
Whisk together the sautéed garlic, brown sugar, soy sauce, lemon juice, honey, 1 teaspoon olive oil, black pepper, and red pepper flakes in a bowl; pour into a gallon-size resealable plastic bag. Add salmon fillets to the bag, turning to coat with marinade, squeeze to remove excess air, and seal the bag. Marinate in the refrigerator for 1 hour. (You may want to lay it flat on a baking sheet or baking pan.)
Remove salmon from the marinade and shake to remove excess liquid. Reserve 1/2 cup marinade and discard the rest.
Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Arrange salmon fillets in the hot skillet; pour reserved marinade over salmon.
Cover and cook, occasionally spooning liquid in the pan over fillets, until salmon is browned and flakes easily with a fork, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Season to your taste with salt and pepper.
Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Apples
Serves 6
2 pounds Brussels sprouts
2 Fuji or Gala apples, diced
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/3 teaspoon pepper
Preheat the oven to 400⁰ F.
Rinse the Brussels sprouts with cool water. Trim the stalks off the sprouts and remove any damaged or brown leaves.
Slice each sprout into quarters and pat dry. Place on a cookie sheet and add the diced apples.
Drizzle everything with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Toss to make sure everything is coated evenly.
Bake for about 40 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes to make sure they cook evenly, until the sprouts are soft inside and browned and crisp outside.
Slow Cooker Apple Butter
Makes 2 quarts
This is a recipe you’ll want to start first thing in the morning as it takes all day to cook. Delicious on your challah or honey cake — or have it for breakfast on your toast or pancakes. This makes enough to fill 8 (8 ounce) jelly jars you can freeze or can.
3 quarts tart apples (approximately 20 medium Granny Smith or McIntosh), peeled, cored and chopped
2 cups white sugar*
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground clove
1 tablespoon cinnamon
Dash of salt
Stir occasionally during all cooking time.
Mix all ingredients in a slow cooker, cover and cook on high for 1-2 hours.
Reduce heat to low and cook another 7 or 8 hours.
Remove lid and cook on high another 2 or more hours so the juices reduce.
Allow to cool, then mix with a hand mixer or food processor until smooth.
(*If you’d like to reduce the amount of sugar, you can substitute 1 cup of white sugar with 1 cup of Splenda or 1/2 cup of Stevia)
Honey Cake
Serves 10-12
Some time back in the early 2000’s when the Cincinnati Enquirer still had a food section, they did a feature on honey cake recipes before Rosh Hashanah. I combined what I liked from several of those recipes and created one of my own. It contains a cup of coffee for an intense flavor that compliments the spices.
2 1/2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground clove
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3 large eggs
3/4 cup honey
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 cup strong coffee
1/2 cup raisins or walnuts (or both), optional
Powdered sugar for dusting, optional
Preheat oven to 350⁰ F. Generously grease a 12 cup bundt pan or 3 7”x3” loaf pans.
In a large bowl, sift dry ingredients together. Make a well in the center and whisk in wet ingredients. Stir in raisins or nuts if using.
Pour into bundt pan. (If using loaf pans, fill no more than 2/3 full.) Bake for 30-40 minutes (may have to cover with foil after 25 minutes to keep from getting too dark.) When done, a knife inserted in the center should come out clean. Cool before removing from the pans.
Dust with powdered sugar if desired and slice before serving.
