FESTIVE FOODS FOR THE NEW YEAR

Festive Foods for the New Year

Rosh Hashanah is a special time of year to whip up exciting new dishes and share fabulous meals with your loved ones. I truly believe that holiday cooking can be stress-free, easy, and delicious! These recipes are near and dear to my heart, and I hope you give them a try. Lots of love, chefs. Shana Tova!

Iraqi meatballs with peas

This is a dish I grew up eating. My Iraqi grandmother always prepared this for Shabbat. It’s so simple to make and super festive in perfect time for Yom Tov!

For the meatballs:

1 lb. ground beef

3/4 cup grated onion

1/2 cup minced fresh parsley 

1/2 tsp. salt 

For the sauce

4 stalks celery, thinly sliced

2 garlic cloves, sliced 

1/4 cup tomato paste 

1 tbs. oil

1 pack frozen peas 

4 cups water

1/2 tsp. salt 

1. In a wide pot, heat the oil. Sauté the tomato paste for 2 minutes.

2. Add the garlic, peas, and celery, and sauté for about 5 minutes.

3. Pour in the water and bring to a boil.

4. Meanwhile, combine the meatball ingredients in a bowl, and mix well.

5. Form ping pong ball sized meatballs and drop them into the boiling sauce. (This should make 20 to 25 meatballs.) Lower the flame and simmer for 10 minutes covered.  

6. Transfer to an oven set to 350 degrees, and cook for 1 hour uncovered. Serve hot with white rice.

Honey Rice Krispies Chicken

This is one of my top favorite finger foods to munch on! It’s super crispy on the outside and the chicken is always so juicy and flavorful. The combination of sweet and salty will have you reaching for seconds (and thirds!).

2 chicken breasts, boneless and skinless

1 egg, plus a small splash of water

3 1/2 cups Rice Krispies cereal 

1 tsp. garlic powder 

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. black pepper

1/4 tsp. vanilla extract 

Oil for frying

1 cup honey

1. In a mixing bowl, combine the flour, salt, pepper, and garlic powder.

2. In another bowl, combine the egg, water, vanilla extract, and a pinch of salt.

3. In a third bowl, add the cereal and crush half of the mixture using your hands to create fine crumbs. 

4. Slice the chicken breast into thin 1/2 inch thick strips.

5. Coat the chicken in flour, dust off any excess flour, then dip into egg wash, and then into the cereal. 

6. Once everything is coated, heat the oil in a medium-size frying pan on medium-high heat.

7. Fry for 3 minutes on each side until a deep golden brown color forms. Make sure to fry in batches to avoid overcrowding the pan. Drain on a paper towel lined tray.

8. Drizzle honey over the chicken and toss until well coated. Serve warm or at room temperature. 

Chef’s Tip

Since apples and pomegranates are staples on Rosh Hashanah, I’ve found a few ways to incorporate them into savory salads too!

Apple Cabbage Slaw

1 medium cabbage, thinly sliced

1 Fuji apple, thinly sliced 

2 green onions, thinly sliced

2 carrots grated

Dressing:

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar 

1/3 cup mayonnaise 

1/2 tsp. salt

1 tbs. of honey

1 tbs. poppy seeds (optional)

Spinach Pomegranate Salad

1 bag spinach

1/2 red onion, thinly sliced

1/2 cup pomegranate seeds

1/4 cup pecans

Dressing:

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar 

1/4 cup olive oil

1 tsp. Dijon mustard 

1 tbs. honey 

1/2 tsp. dry oregano 

1/2 tsp. salt