Chicken Salad

This salad is my go-to whenever I want a light but filling meal. Chicken isn’t a constant — sometimes I use leftover salmon, beef or lamb instead — but the proportions are just right for 2-3 people (you can double it of course).

If you’re fasting for Yom Kippur, this is the kind of dish that’s perfect for the occasion. Substantial but not heavy and not salty.

Chicken Salad

• 4-5 small waxy potatoes (such as Baby Yukon Gold or Red Bliss)

• 3-4 ounces fresh greens

• 2 stalks celery, chopped coarsely

• 1/2 avocado, cut into bite size pieces

• 10-12 cherry or grape tomatoes cut in half

• 1/2 cup chopped cucumber

• 2 cups diced cooked chicken

• 3 tablespoons olive oil or avocado oil

• 3 tablespoons wine vinegar

• freshly ground black pepper to taste

Place the potatoes in a saucepan, cover with water, bting to a boil and cook for about 15 minutes or until the potatoes are tender. Let cool, peel and cut into bite size pieces. Place the greens in a salad bowl. Add the potatoes, celery, avocado, tomatoes, cucumber and chicken and toss the ingredients to distribute them evenly. Pour in the olive oil and toss to coat the ingredients. Pour in the vinegar and toss. Sprinkle with pepper to taste. Let rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Makes 2-3 servings

Aunt Belle’s Spicy Honey Cake

Next week I have to figure out what to do with leftover Honey Cake crumbs. I baked my usual recipe for Rosh Hashanah and overcooked it, so it came out dry and crumbly.

But I love Honey Cake and always look forward to this time of year to have some, so I baked another using my Aunt Belle’s famous (in our family) recipe. This cake is rich, dense and moist (unless you over cook it), and a little on the spicy side. Flavor varies depending on the kind of honey you use of course. Much darker and heartier with buckwheat honey, lighter and milder with clover, alfalfa or orange blossom honey.

As for those crumbs, maybe as a topping for apple crisp? Streusel for pie? Pudding? Ice cream mix-in?

I’ll keep you posted.

Aunt Belle’s Spicy Honey Cake

3-1/2 cups all-purpose flour

2-1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg

1-1/2 tablespoons grated fresh orange peel

2 teaspoons grated fresh lemon peel

2 cups honey

1 cup strong coffee

1/4 cup vegetable oil

4 large eggs

3/4 cup sugar

sliced almonds, optional

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Lightly grease two 9” x 5” loaf pans. Line the pans with parchment paper, then lightly grease the paper. Set the pans aside. Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg together into a bowl. Stir in the orange peel and lemon peel and set aside. Heat the honey, coffee and vegetable oil together over low-medium heat for a minute or two, just enough to blend them together easily. Set aside to cool. In the bowl of an electric mixer set at medium speed, beat the eggs and sugar for 2-3 minutes or until well blended. Stir in the honey mixture and blend it in thoroughly. Add the flour mixture and blend it in thoroughly. Spoon the batter into the prepared pans. Scatter some sliced almonds on top. Bake for about 1-1/4 hours or until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool in the pans for 10 minutes then invert onto a cake rack to cool completely.

Makes 2 cakes

Brown Rice Mujadarah

I think I could make Mujadarah in my sleep. Okay, maybe I haven’t actually cooked it as often as challah or spinach pie or butter cookies, but this dish is a mainstay in the Fein household. I serve it when my kids come. Sometimes I make a small portion for just Ed and me. But mostly I serve it for buffet dinners, like when a grandchild is born and we have a welcome party.

And it has become a permanent item for my Yom Kippur Break-the-fast.

The first time I served Mujadarah at my Break-the-fast, people wondered what it was and took a little taste, then came back for more. Much more. The next year I doubled the amount I served.

Mujadarah is a Middle Eastern specialty. This version has brown rice but you could substitute bulgur wheat. I make it well ahead of time, separately store the grains and onions in the fridge, then reheat them separately too. That makes it really easy for me when I have a lot of guests over.

BROWN RICE MUJADARAH

• 1/2 cup olive oil

• 4 large yellow onions, peeled and sliced

• 1 cup brown rice

• water or stock

• 1 cup lentils

• 1 teaspoon ground cumin, optional

• 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley

• salt to taste

Heat 4 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 15 minutes or until the onions are soft and brown. Spoon the onions into a container and cover the container. Refrigerate when cool if not serving the dish immediately. Place the rice in a saucepan, cover with 2 cups water or stock, bring to a boil, stir and cover the pan. Turn the heat to low and cook for about 30 minutes or until tender. Spoon the rice into a bowl. While the rice is cooking, place the lentils in a saucepan and cover with water or stock. Bring to a boil over high heat. Lower the heat, cover the pan and cook for about 25 minutes or until tender. Drain and add to the rice. Stir in the remaining 4 tablespoons olive oil. Add the cumin, if used and the parsley. Toss the ingredients. Add salt to taste. If serving immediately, stir in the onions with any accumulated juices, mix and serve. If serving at a later time, add the onions and juices, place in an overnproof casserole and reheat, covered, in a preheated 350F degree oven (about 25 minutes).

Makes 6 servings

Gillian’s Snack Balls

Looking for a healthy snack your kids will actually eat?

Try this one, invented by my daughter Gillian. They look good too, don’t they? Maybe even good enough to greet hungry guests if you’re having a Break-the-fast for Yom Kippur and someone wants a quick nibble before the real dinner.

Gillian invented these because she wants to send healthy snacks to school, but also send something her daughter Lila will like. She remembers the days when she was a kid and I was the one sending the lunch and snack. I also wanted to send something healthy, not a Snickers bar or M&Ms. But I also didn’t want to be the carrot-and-raisin Mom who never sent a chip and whose kids always traded those carrots-and-raisins for a sample of whatever the other children happen to bring that day (sometimes Snickers bar or M&Ms).

These snack balls are sweet, but there’s only one tablespoon of honey in 4 dozen balls. The rest is all natural fruit sweetener from the figs, prunes and dates.

Grownups like these too. Take my word for that.

Gillian’s Snack Balls

8-10 large dried figs, coarsely chopped

1 cup pitted prunes, halved

3/4 cup dried cranberries

6 large Medjool dates, coarsely chopped

1 cup quick cooking oats

1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce

1-1/2 to 2 teaspoons grated fresh orange peel

1 tablespoon honey

1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut

Place the figs, prunes, cranberries, dates, oats, applesauce, orange peel and honey in a food processor and process for about one minute or until the ingredients are well combined and form a soft pasty ball. Use a spoon to take enough paste to form one-inch balls. Roll the balls in coconut. Makes about 4 dozen

Plum Pie

I am the human equivalent of a squirrel. Every late-summer-early-autumn I gather up ingredients to make into food that I can store for the cold, hard winter that’s coming.

Surely, those of you who have been reading this blog know I’ve been knee deep - no, actually shoulder deep or thank-goodness-I-have-an-old-fridge-in-the-basement deep in prune plums. I saw them early in the season and couldn’t stop myself from buying pounds and pounds of them.

Well, I’ve poached some, tucked some under a crispy cover, baked some into torte and made a cake or two. And finally, I’m up to pie. Because my brother Jeff loves pie and cousin Neil likes plum desserts and when the pies are done the plum bin will finally be empty. And I will have a freezer full of desserts to keep us as happy as squirrels all winter long, but for the one pie I will serve at my annual Yom Kippur Break-the-fast next week.

Plum Pie

Dough for half crust pie

2-1/2 pounds Italian prune plums

2/3 cup sugar

2 tablespoons minute tapioca

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Streusel:

3/4 all-purpose flour

1/3 cup sugar

6 tablespoons butter, cut into chunks

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Roll the dough to fit a 9-inch pie pan. Crimp the outside to form a decorative edge. Wash and halve the plums and remove the pits. Cut the plums into slices and place in a large bowl. Add the sugar, tapioca, lemon juice and cinnamon and mix well. Place the fruit mixture inside the crust. Make the streusel: mix the flour and sugar. Add the butter and mix with your fingers until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs (or pulse in a food processor). Sprinkle the mixture over the fruit. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until the crust is crispy and golden brown. Makes one pie

Honey Cookies

Still thinking honey. This time, more or less, a sweet little treat to greet people when they come to my house for the Break-the-fast on Saturday night. I’ve noticed over the years that when people haven’t eaten for a long time they can’t just go at it and shovel in food. They need to nibble first. 

For a few years I served homemade hummus as a starter food. But somehow so many people went right over to the dessert trays and took a cookie or two that now I keep the hummus for the main meal buffet and have a plate of sweet cookies available before we actually have dinner.

My friend Susan always brought cookies, but as I mentioned, she isn’t coming this year. So, I’ll serve crescent cookies and plum torte. My friend Barbara’s daughter-in-law Karen will bring chocolate chip cookies and my daughter Gillian will bake an apple cake.

But because I also still have honey on my mind, in hopes for a sweet new year, I will also bake honey cookies today.

Honey Cookies

1/2 cup melted butter or margarine, cooled

1/4 cup honey

1/4 cup sugar

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 large egg yolk

1/2 teaspoon grated fresh orange peel

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon salt

1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 large egg white

crystal sugar

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a cookie sheet. In the bowl of an electric mixer combine the melted butter, honey, sugar, baking soda, egg yolk, orange peel, vanilla extract and salt. Beat at medium speed for about one minute or until the ingredients are thoroughly blended. Add the flour and blend it in to make a soft dough. Pinch off heaping teaspoons of dough and roll them on a floured surface to make balls about 1-inch in diameter. Beat the egg white until it is thick and foamy. Dip the balls into the egg white to coat the entire surface. Press the balls on one side in some crystal sugar (or sprinkle the crystal sugar on top). Place the balls (sugared side up) on the cookie sheet, leaving some space (about an inch) between them. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool for 10 minutes, then place on a cookie rack to cool completely. Makes about 36

Roasted Turkey Breast with Honey and Mint

If you’re going to fast for Yom Kippur, you need to fill up a little before the holy day begins. Have a good, filling, nourishing dinner. But not food that’s salty or spicy, so you won’t need to drink.

Chinese food is out. (Soy sauce makes me ravenously thirsty.)

Thai food — fuggedaboudit.

Nix the sushi (does anyone else but me need to drink gallons of water after sushi?).

Just say no to Chicken Tikka Masala and Chili Verdem to Sriracha sauce and Jerk seasoning.

But this roasted turkey breast will do. It’s got interesting flavor, and the mint makes it refreshing but it isn’t spicy or salty. Serve it with mashed potatoes and a green vegetable to round out dinner.

You can use the recipe for a whole turkey or chicken or a large whole turkey breast (increase the seasonings and roasting time of course). Delicious and also has the benefit of being incredibly easy to make.

Roasted Turkey Breast with Honey and Mint

half turkey breast, about 3 pounds

3 tablespoons honey

2 tablespoon vegetable oil or melted margarine

1 clove garlic, finely chopped

2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint

1 tablespoon chopped fresh ginger

1 cup white wine

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Rinse and dry the turkey breast and place it skin side up in a roasting pan. In a small bowl, mix the honey, vegetable oil, garlic and mint. Spread the mixture over the turkey breast. Place the pan in the oven. Reduce the heat to 325 degrees. Roast for 25 minutes. Pour the wine over the turkey. Roast for another 35-50 minutes (meat thermometer should read 160-165 degrees), basting occasionally with pan juices. Let rest for 10-15 minutes before carving. Makes 4 servings

Almond/Hazelnut Crescent Cookies

My Break-the-fast plans have changed. One of my friends, the woman who always brings dessert, isn’t able to come this year.

Guess what that means?

Yep. Dessert’s on me. 

Okay, my friend Barbara just offered her daughter-in-law’s services for some chocolate chip cookies. Everybody likes those so I said a quick yes.

I would love some homemade rugelach but don’t think I have time to make those this year, so I’m going to make a couple of plum tortes and also these fabulously rich and tender almond crescents (you can use hazelnuts), which melt in your mouth and are completely freezable (so I can actually do that today! Hurrah.

Almond/Hazelnut Crescents

1/2 pound unsalted butter

1/3 cup confectioner’s sugar

2 large egg yolks

1/2 teaspoon salt

1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour

2/3 cup finely ground almonds or hazelnuts

1/2 cup confectioner’s sugar, approximately

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Beat the butter and 1/3 cup confectioner’s sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer set at medium speed for one minute or until fluffy and well blended. Add the egg yolks, salt and vanilla extract and blend them in thoroughly. Add the flour and nuts and blend them in thoroughly. Wrap the dough and refrigerate it for at least one hour or until well chilled. Take off pieces of dough and shape them into 3-inch long cylinders, then into crescents with tapered ends. Place the crescents on ungreased cookie sheets about one-inch apart. Bake for about 25 minutes or until they are lightly browned. Let cool. Press the cookies into the remaining confectioner’s sugar or sift extra confectioner’s sugar on top of the cookies for serving.

Makes about 30 cookies

Mom’s Butter Cookies

It wouldn't be a proper Break-the-Fast without these cookies. My mother made them so

Grandma's Challah

Why do challah recipes always tell you the yield in loaves, not how many a loaf serves?

My guess is that an 8-cup-of-flour challah is supposed to be enough for at least 12 people. But when a challah’s really good you never know! In my family I sometimes think I need a personal challah for everyone (and in fact when I bake challah with my grandchildren I give them each a lump of dough and they actually do get their own personal challahs).

My challah recipe yields 2 regular size or one enormous loaf. But one eight cup of flour recipe is never enough for 6 adults and 3 kids, especially when there’s going to be a break-the-fast for 17 adults plus several more children. I make at least two of these and only sometimes are there any leftovers for French toast the next day.

I really should think about three. That’s my task for tomorrow. Thanks to a big freezer.

Here’s the recipe:

CHALLAH

2 packages active dry yeast

1/2 cup warm water (about 105 degrees; feels slightly warm to touch)

1/2 cup sugar

8 cups flour, approximately

1 tablespoon salt

5 large eggs

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1-1/2 cups warm water (about 105 degrees)

poppy seeds or sesame seeds, optional

In a small bowl, mix the yeast, 1/2 cup water, 1/2 teaspoon sugar and a pinch of flour. Stir and set aside for about 5 minutes or until the mixture is bubbly. While the yeast is resting, place 7-1/2 cups flour with the remaining sugar and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer with a dough hook. Add 4 of the eggs, the vegetable oil and the 1-1/2 cups water. Mix using the dough hook until well combined. Add the yeast mixture and blend in thoroughly. Knead (at medium-high speed) until the dough is smooth and elastic (3-4 minutes). Add more flour as needed to make the dough smooth and soft, but not overly sticky. Cover the bowl and let the dough rise in a warm place for about 1-1/2 hours or until doubled in bulk. Punch the dough down, cover the bowl and let rise again for about 45 minutes or until doubled in bulk. Remove the dough to a floured surface. Cut the dough into 3 or 6 pieces depending on whether you are going to make one large or two smaller loaves. Make long strands out of each piece. Braid the strands and seal the ends together by pressing on the dough. Place the bread(s) on a lightly greased cookie sheet. Beat the last egg. Brush the surface with some of the egg. Sprinkle with seeds if desired. Let rise in a warm place for 30 minutes. While the dough is in the last rise, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Bake for about 30 minutes for one large bread, 22-25 minutes for two smaller breads. They should be firm and golden brown. Makes one large or two smaller challahs

NOTE: you can make the dough in a food processor — cut the recipe in half

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