YOM TOV RECIPES

Yom Tov season is here again. This year, we have a few three-day Yomim Tovim in a row. In order to make Yom Tov more manageable, I like to stock my freezers. I keep a running list of all the items I froze taped to the side of my freezer. Before Yom Tov, I pull out frozen items as a start and add some fresh elements to complete my menu. Although freezing food is not always ideal, with proper storage and reheating the food tastes fresh!

Braided Apple Strudel

Apples are the star ingredient of the season. This dessert is a great addition to your apple recipe collection. It can be served at room temperature or warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and a drizzle of caramel. After baking, I allow it to cool completely. I then wrap it in parchment and foil. I freeze it on a disposable cookie sheet to prevent breakage. To defrost, simply remove all the wrapping and allow the strudel to come to room temperature.

Ingredients:

3-4 McIntosh apples

¾ cup sugar

2 tablespoons cornstarch

1 teaspoons lemon juice

½ teaspoons cinnamon

½ package flaky dough sheets

Turbinado sugar, for sprinkling

1 egg

Directions

Peel and dice apples into small cubes. Place apples, sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice, and cinnamon in a small saucepan. Cook apple mixture over a small flame for 30 minutes, until the apples are soft and the sauce is thick and bubbly. Remove from flame and allow the mixture to cool completely. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Roll out the dough and place the apple mixture down the middle third of the dough. Cut one-inch slits down the outer strips of dough. Bring the dough towards the center to create a braid. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Brush the pastry with egg and sprinkle with turbinado sugar. Bake for half an hour, till golden.

Sweet Pretzel Crunch Chicken

I rarely fry food. Besides for obvious health reasons, I don’t like the greasy cleanup or the smell. Recently a friend of mine (thank you Shaindy S.) convinced me to purchase the Fry Daddy. It’s inexpensive and makes frying quick and easy. I fry a bunch of these nuggets at a time and freeze on a cookie sheet. Once frozen, I transfer to a large ziptop bag. Every Shabbos I remove a few pieces and place them directly on my crockpot. Reheating uncovered is the trick for fresh-tasting nuggets. I like to serve these alongside garlic-mayo. There is never a single nugget left. 

Note: Brand-name Captain Crunch cereal is dairy, so I use the Kemach brand which is pareve.

Ingredients:

1 box Kemach “Captain Crunch” cereal

2 cup thin pretzel sticks

1.5 lbs.  chicken cutlets, cut into 1-inch cubes

3 eggs

1 tablespoon maple syrup

½ teaspoon garlic powder

½ teaspoon paprika  

¼ teaspoon salt

Pinch black pepper

Directions

Place half the box of cereal in a food processor fit with the S blade and pulse until the cereal is the texture of fine flour. Place in a bowl. Next, place the other half of the cereal along with two cups of pretzels in the food processor, pulse until they are coarsely chopped, and place that in another bowl. Whisk eggs and spices in a third bowl. Heat the oil in a large skillet or fryer. Dip nuggets into the finely crushed cereal, then into the egg mixture, and then into coarsely chopped cereal. Fry until golden brown and place on a cooling rack to keep the chicken crunchy until cool. Place on a cookie sheet lined with parchment and freeze.

Potato Knish Roll

This recipe has been of family favorite for years. I make it for every Yom Tov. I freeze it raw and bake it fresh. You can easily turn this into an appetizer by sautéing some thinly sliced chicken and mushrooms with teriyaki sauce and adding it to the top of the potatoes before baking.  Simply slice and serve alongside the mushroom sauce or onion sauce.

Ingredients

2 small onions, diced 

2 tablespoons oil

2 tablespoons flour

1 ½ teaspoons salt

¼ teaspoon pepper

1 tablespoon parsley

2 teaspoons sugar 

1 15-oz. package frozen dough sheet

6 potatoes, peeled and diced

sesame seeds, for sprinkling

Directions

Sauté onion in oil until translucent and add flour until a paste is formed. Add sugar, salt, pepper, and parsley. Boil potatoes until fork tender and mash them well. Add to onion mixture and mix. Roll out dough. Cut the dough in half. Place half the mixture on each side of the dough and roll up. Brush with egg and sesame seeds. Cut slits 1 1/2 inches apart and bake at 350 degrees until golden brown.

Wild Mushroom Barley Soup

I love mushrooms in any form, and I recently discovered porcini mushrooms. They are rich in umami flavor and have a deep woodsy taste to them. They give this soup a really unique flavor. They can be purchased in most grocery stores, sold in a pouch, dehydrated, usually in the produce aisle.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons dried porcini mushrooms

1 large onion, thinly sliced

¼  cup fresh parsley 

3 frozen garlic cubes

2 quarts beef broth or water  

2 teaspoons salt 

1 lb. assorted mushrooms (shitake/button/baby bella)

2 teaspoons oil

2 stalks celery peeled

1 carrot, peeled and diced

1 tablespoon flour

3/4 cup barley

Directions

Soak mushrooms for 1/2 an hour in hot water with enough water to cover. Stream through strainer, reserving the water. Coarsely chop the dried mushrooms.  In a stock pot, heat oil, sauteed onions, celery, 2 tablespoons parsley, carrot, garlic, and fresh mushrooms until soft, about five minutes. Lower the heat and add the flour, stirring every 30 seconds for about five minutes. Add the beef broth, turn the heat to high, and add reserved mushroom water and barley. Stir well and add salt to taste. Lower the heat to a simmer and cover for about an hour or until all the barley is tender and the soup is thickened. Add additional parsley as a garnish.

Chocolate Chip Marble Squares

This recipe is a hit with all children, and it takes five minutes to put together. It’s the taste of a chocolate chip cookie without the hours of rolling. Of course, it freezes amazingly. It’s great to keep on your counter in the jar, during the busy Yom Tov season.

Ingredients

1 stick margarine

¼ cup plus two tablespoons sugar

¼ cup plus two tablespoons brown sugar

½ teaspoon vanilla extract  

1 egg

1 cup flour

½  teaspoon baking soda

¼  teaspoon salt

1 cup chocolate chips

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line a 9 by 13 pan with parchment paper. Cream the margarine and sugar and add egg and vanilla. Add the dry ingredients.  Do not overmix. Spread the batter into the pan. Sprinkle the chocolate chips over the batter and put the pan in the oven for one to two minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and with a knife marbleize the chocolate chips that have begun to melt. Continue to bake for 12 to 14 minutes. When cool, cut into squares.