Recipe(tried): Rosh Hashana 2000 Dinner...

Good Morning Everyone!

Rosh Hashanah begins at sundown on Friday and the menu will be festive and elaborate. There is no salt on the table and the emphasis is on sweetness.

The Jewish New Year is celebrated around the world with many delicious ethnic dishes. Rosh Hashanah heads the year of Jewish festivities.

During the High Holy Days, an acute awareness of life's finitness and precariousness abounds, there is the profound knowledge of the fleetingness of time, and consequently, of the importance of using time wisely. For the believing Jewish person, it means that life has a purpose and one's actions matter. It means taking responsibility, rectifying past errors, assuming control and changing course if necessary. As a result, Rosh Hashanah is a holy day given to public prayer at temple and private introspection.

The menu for this festive and sweet holiday is as follows:

Braid of Hallah (store bought)
Mixed Baby Greens w/Pears & Feta & Walnut Vinaigrette Dressing
Glazed Apricot Turkey Breast & Stuffing
Spinach Noodle Pudding
Carrot Souffle
Cranberry Applesauce
Pumpkin Honey Cake
Poached Pears with Honey Cream

Shana tovah umetukah (Have a good and sweet year!)Mixed Baby Greens, Pear and Feta with Walnut Vinaigrette Salad

serves 4

1 can pear slices, drained and chopped coarse
1/2 c. dried cranberries
1 T. fresh lime juice
1/2 c. chopped walnuts

Dressing:
6 T. walnut oil
2 T. tarragon wine vinegar
1/4 c. pear juice
1/2 t. salt
1/4 t. ground white pepper
dash cayenne pepper
4 oz. feta cheese, crumbled
1 lb. fresh mixed baby greens

Wash and dry baby greens, put into a glass bowl; toss in pears, cranberries, & nuts. Sprinkle lime juice to coat.

Whisk oil, vinegar, pear juice and spices to blend. Drizzle over salad and toss to coat. When ready to serve individually, scatter feta over salad.

Glazed Apricot Turkey Breast

2-3 lb. fresh turkey breast
olive oil
1/4 cup mix of orange juice and lime juice
1/2 tsp. oregano
1 tsp.ground coriander
1/2 tsp. onion powder
1/2 tsp. ground sage
1 c. apricot marmalade mixed with 2 T. lemon juice

Rinse turkey breast well and pat dry with paper towel.
Marinate the turkey breast early in the day in the roasting pan you will be using by drizzling olive oil, rubbing it on well. Sprinkle with oregano, coriander, onion powder, and sage. Rub on well and then pour the orange juice-lime juice combination over. Saran Wrap the pan and let sit in refrigerator till ready to cook. Cook at 350 for about 1 1/2 hours or till juices run clear.
Glaze occasionally with apricot glaze mixture.

Apple Raisin Stuffing

small package of Pepperidge Farm Stuffing
1/2 cup raisins
1 small onion, chopped
1/2 cup chopped celery
1 garlic clove, minced
salt and pepper tpo taste
2 McIntosh apples, peeled, cored and chopped
1 stick butter, melted
1 cup chicken broth
Saute the onion and celery until golden, add the garlic at the last minute and cook for 1-2 minutes. In a bowl, add the stuffing and mix with the sauteed onions and celery, add the chopped apples and raisins along with the melted butter and add the broth until you get the consistency you want, sort of mushy.
Bake in a casserole dish covered with aluminum foil for 45 minutes at 350.

Spinach Noodle Pudding

1 pkg. 8 ozs. noodles (fine or medium)
1 large onion, chopped
8 ozs. sour cream
1 pkg Birds Eye Creamed Spinach
2 eggs, beaten
bread crumbs to sprinkle on top
1 stick butter
salt and pepper to taste
Saute your onions until golden in 1/2 stick butter. Cook noodles according to directions on pkg. Drain noodles and toss with the other 1/2 stick of butter, blend with the spinach, sour cream, sauteed onions and eggs. Salt and pepper to your taste. Blend well. Pour into a buttered casserole dish and sprinkle with the bread crumbs. Bake 350 for 45-60 minutes. Rosh Hashanah Carrot Souffle

1 lb. carrots, peeled and sliced
salt to taste
1/2 c. butter, melted
1/2 c. sugar
1 t. baking powder
3 T. flour
3 eggs
1 t. vanilla
1/4 t. Spice Blend*

*Spice Blend is a jar of spice I bought at Pier One a couple of years ago. When I went back to get more, they were out. Luckily I keapt the jar with the ingredients and now I make my own. It is simply equal portions grounded of:
ground coriander, ground cloves, ground cinnamon, sugar, aniseed, fennel seeds, and ground ginger. I ground it in the coffee machine grounder. It is fabulous.

Cook carrots in small saucepot in salted water covered til tender. Drain. Combine with butter in a blender or food processor and process till smooth.

Combine the sugar, baking powder, flour, eggs and vanilla in a bowl. Mix well and add to the pureed carrots and mix well.

Spoon mixture into a greased baking dish and bake at 350 for 45 mts.

Cranberry Applesauce

(Freeze bags of cranberries when in season so you can use year-round)

4 c. apples
2 c. cranberries
3/4 c. water
3/4 c. sugar
1 t. ground cinnamon

Peel and slice apples. Combine remaining ingredients and put into a pot with the apples. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat and simmer about 10 minutes or until tender. Blend until smooth and fluffy.

Pumpkin Honey Cake

2 c. honey
1 c. oil
2 c. cooked pumpkin, pureed
4 eggs, lightly beaten
3 c. whole wheat flour
2 T. cinnamon
3 t. baking powder
2 t. baking soda
2 t. almond extract
1 t. salt
1 c. chopped nuts
1 c. raisins

Mix all ingredients in a large bowl. Blend well.

Pour into a well-greased tube pan. Bake 1 hour and 25 mts. at 350. Cool on wire rack and invert onto serving dish after 10 minutes. Cool completely before dusting with powdered sugar.

Poached Pears with Honey Cream

8 Bosc or Bartlett pears, ripe and firm
1 c. cran-raspberry juice
1/2 c. semi-dry red wine
water to cover the pears
juice of half a lemon
1/3 c. sugar
2 sticks cinnamon
small vanilla bean
2 t. grated lemon rind

Peel the pears, leaving on the stem. Set aside. In a saucepan large enough to hold the pears, combine the liquids lemon juice, water, sugar, spices and rind. Bring to a boil and gently add the pears, simmer for 10 to 15 minutes until tender but not too soft. Lift gently out with a slotted spoon and place in serving bowl. Reduce the syrup by half by boiling, cool for 5 minutes and pour over pears. Refrigerate them at this point. When ready to serve individually, serve with Honey Cream.

Honey Cream

8 oz. Cool Whip
3 T. honey
1 T. Grand Marnier
1/2 t. lemon extract
In a medium bowl, whip the Cool Whip til fluffy. Fold in the rest of the ingredients. Refrigerate til ready to use. Serve on top of Pumpkin Honey Cake or Poached Pears.