When you’re planning your holiday menus, you need to find a balance between serving the favorite dishes everyone looks forward to and introducing foods that are healthy, tasty and a new treat. I am always looking in magazines for new cooking ideas, new ways to prepare the chicken or roast, or a vegetable or rice dish.
I begin with a menu for each of the four meals, and establish a shopping list and time line for cooking. I try and make the food ahead and freeze, if possible. I divide the cooking into two days before, day before and same day tasks. I assign tasks to the children, my housekeeper and anyone else who comes by. Guests generally know it is a lot of work, and are appreciative of a way to contribute to the home cooked meal.
Each year, for the holidays, I contribute recipes to IMAGE Magazine, and I generally include the recipes for the brachot said prior to the evening meal. These dishes are Lubya (black eyed peas), Krafseeya (Swiss Chard), leeks, Hilu (candied spaghetti squash), tongue (some people use a cow’s head or a whole fish), pomegranate seeds, dates, and apples dipped in honey. My typical evening menu will include a roast, some type of chicken, a vegetable, rice, potatoes, meche (either stuffed squash or eggplant). If I am ambitious, I will make stuffed veal. Of course, we begin the meal with mouth-watering round sweet challah, representing the circle of life with sweetness for the upcoming year.
This year, I am providing new recipes, some of which are in the Sarina’s Sephardic Cuisine app, and a salad, which is in my new book Backyard Kitchen: Mediterranean Salads. The book honors my mother and grandmother, both of whom were models to me in cooking and entertaining.
The new recipes include items from each course of a meal. Most are not typical Sephardic meals, but add variety to each course. My mushroom bourekas are an easy, make ahead appetizer and can be cooked in 15 minutes and placed out for guests as they arrive, so they can have something to nibble on. The parsley potato frittata is an easy way to serve a potato dish that is tasty. A frittata is basically a vegetable baked with eggs. I like this dish because it allows me to portion the potatoes and serve them in wedges. Seasonal items must be incorporated into the meal. Corn, tomatoes, mint and basil are in plentiful supply this time of year. My minted corn and heirloom tomato salad uses totally delicious corn that comes off the grill.
The garlic infused veal roast creatively infuses the roast with luscious and smooth garlic flavor in every slice. For fish lovers, and those who are watching their waistlines, my salmon with pomegranate glaze makes use of the pomegranates and gives it an awesome flavor. My fruity rice pilaf is a recipe I attribute to my Aunt Lorraine Shamie, one of the ultimate cooks. She gave me this recipe early in my marriage and I only use it for guests. It is elegant and simple, and always gets rave reviews.
A typical Syrian meal is followed by tea or coffee, platters of fresh and dried fruit and homemade pastries. This is the time to break out the baklava and that sweet honey cake. To add diversity to the expected desserts, my chocolate cranberry brittle tart is rich and sweet.
Mushroom Bourekas
Mushroom bourekas are an easy appetizer to make ahead. Just pull them out of the freezer and bake as needed!
Ingredients:
• 1 pint mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons oil
• 1 teaspoons kosher salt
• ¼ teaspoon pepper
• 2 tablespoons parsley, chopped
• 3-4 tablespoons bread crumbs
• 24 mini puffed pastry squares
• Egg wash (1 egg beaten with 2 tablespoons water)
Directions:
Heat oil in skillet. Add mushrooms and garlic and saute 5-10 minutes. Add salt, pepper and parsley. Mix well and cook. Strain and put in food processor with bread crumbs. Mixture should be dry.
Prepare cookie sheet lined with wax paper. Preheat oven to 350˚. Take 1 teaspoon mushroom mixture and place in center of puff pastry. Wet edges with water. Fold over into triangle and seal edges.
Place on cookie sheet. Repeat until all of the mushroom filling is finished. May be frozen at this point. Store in airtight bags.
To Cook:
Preheat oven to 375˚. Spray cookie sheet with cooking spray. Place bourekas on tray and brush with egg wash. Bake 20-30 minutes until pastry puffs and is golden brown.
Parsley Potato Frittata
Ingredients:
• 2 lbs. red potatoes, diced
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt
• 6 tablespoons oil
• 1 onion finely chopped
• 3 cloves diced garlic
• 1 green pepper, diced
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• ½ teaspoon white pepper
•½ teaspoon thyme
• 3 tablespoons parsley finely chopped
• 6 egg
Directions:
Place potatoes in a 3 quart saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil with 1 tablespoon kosher salt and simmer 10 minutes. Drain and set aside.
In oven proof skillet, heat oil and saute onion and garlic until translucent. Lower heat and add potatoes, pepper, salt, pepper, thyme and parsley. Mix slightly and simmer, covered 10 minutes.
These breakfast potatoes can be served as is. To make a frittata, whisk 6 eggs and pour over the potatoes. Simmer until set on low heat, about 10 minutes until edges look set.
Place in 400˚ oven for 15 minutes to finish cooking. Remove from oven.
To serve, loosen sides. Place a dish on top of the skillet and turn over. Serve in wedges. Garnish with parsley.
Minted Corn and Heirloom Tomato Salad
Ingredients:
• 2-3 ears of cooked corn
• ½ chopped red onion
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 2-3 heirloom tomatoes, cut in wedges
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 lemon, freshly squeezed
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• ¼ teaspoon white pepper
• 10 basil leaves, rolled and sliced
• 20 mint leaves, chopped
• 6-10 mint leaves, whole
Directions:
Using a sharp knife, slice corn off of husks. The corn will come off in pieces. Place in bowl with tomatoes, red onion, and garlic. Gently toss.
Mix the oil, lemon, salt and pepper. Add basil leaves and chopped mint leaves to salad. Pour dressing on top and gently toss. Sprinkle remaining mint leaves on top.
Garlic Infused Veal Roast
Ingredients
• 4 lb. veal roast
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon white pepper
• ½ teaspoon paprika
• ½ teaspoon oregano
• ½ teaspoon parsley flakes
• ½ teaspoon thyme
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 6 cloves garlic
• ½ cup broth
• 1 teaspoon corn starch
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350˚. Cover veal roast with rub made from all of the spices and 2 tablespoons olive oil. Using a sharp knife, make slits in the roast and insert garlic cloves whole.
Heat remaining 2 tablespoons oil in skillet. Place veal roast in skillet to brown the outside. Turn every 6-7 minutes until completely brown.
Place veal roast in covered roaster in oven for 1 hour. Pour 1 cup water on roast and cook another 45 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool. Cut thick slices and place on platter.
To make gravy, deglaze roaster with ½ cup beef broth. Strain into saucepan. Add 1 teaspoon cornstarch to ½ cup water and mix well. Add to gravy and cook on low heat for 5 minutes to thicken. Serve with roast.
Ingredients:
• Four 6-oz salmon fillets
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon pepper
• 3 tablespoons pomegranate juice
• 1 tablespoons mustard
• 3 teaspoons fresh parsley, chopped
• 1 teaspoon fresh dill, chopped
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 1 cup pomegranate seeds
Directions:
Preheat oven to 400˚ degrees. Line cookie sheet with parchment paper. Place salmon on tray. Brush with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Mix pomegranate juice with mustard and spread on fish. Bake fillets for 10-12 minutes or until flaky when tested.
Mix parsley, dill and lemon zest. Top fish with spice mixture, dividing equally. Sprinkle with lemon juice and pomegranate seeds.
Fruity Rice Pilaf
Ingredients:
• 3 teaspoons oil
• 2 cups long grain or basmati rice
• 2 teaspoons orzo
• 2 cups water
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 2 cups vegetable stock
• 1 cup chopped dry fruit (apricots, prunes or dates)
Directions:
Wash rice in cold water and drain. Repeat three times to remove all starch.
Heat oil in bottom of 4 quart saucepan. Add orzo. When orzo begins to turn pink, add water, stock and salt. Mix well. Allow water to return to a boil. After 5 minutes, lower heat and cover. Wait 10 minutes and turn off.
Add dried fruit, mix and cover. Allow to sit. Mix well when plating.
Chocolate Cranberry Brittle Tart
Ingredients:
• 1 pie crust
• 8 oz. dark chocolate, chopped
• ½ cup sugar
• ½ cup brown sugar
• ¼ cup light Karo syrup
• 1 cup parve heavy cream
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 cup cranberries
• ½ cup chopped cashews
• ½ cup brittle bits
• Caramel sauce
Directions:
Spread pie crust to edges of removable tart pan. Bake at 400˚ for 9 minutes until it looks slightly dry. Remove from oven and spread chocolate on top of the hot crust. It will begin to melt. Reduce oven to 350˚.
In saucepan, combine the sugars, Karo syrup and cream. On medium heat, mix well and allow to come to a slow boil. Keep mixing until it thickens. Remove from heat and add the vanilla, brittle, cashews and cranberries. Pour on top of chocolate. Bake 20 minutes. When cool, drizzle caramel sauce on top.
Wishing you and your families a happy and healthy New Year!
