arts&life
dining in
V egan, Vegetarian,
Gluten-Free, Oh My!
T
Annabel Cohen
Food Columnist
We’ve got something
for everyone at your
Rosh Hashanah
table.
hroughout Jewish his-
tory, food has been our
tangible symbol for hopes
and desires. The symbolic dip-
ping of challah and apple slices
into honey (and eating sweet
tzimmes and honey cake) on
Rosh Hashanah, for example,
translates into sweetness and
bounty.
Heads of fish are thought
to symbolize the head of the
year and our futures as “tops.”
Pomegranates, with their abun-
dant seeds — as well as many
other types of seeds — symbolize
mitzvot (may you have as many
as there are seeds).
Other foods are served
because of their names in lan-
guages like Hebrew and Aramaic.
Carrots mean “more.” Leeks,
beets and dates translate into
“cut off, remove and consume,”
respectively, as if from one’s
enemies.
The following recipes use
these ingredients to make the
traditional Rosh Hashanah
foods. But here — they’re leaner,
healthier, with gluten-free and
vegan choices. Serve them along
with the foods you normally
make, or try them as something
new that’s symbolic.
BUTTERNUT SQUASH
MAC & CHEESE
Vegan
2 tsp. sea salt, plus more for the
pasta cooking water
1 pound uncooked elbow maca-
roni (or another pasta shape)
3 Tbsp. olive oil
4 Tbsp. flour
1 cup cooked butternut squash,
mashed or pureed
3 cups almond or soy milk
(unflavored)
2 tsp. Dijon mustard
2 cups shredded vegan cheese
Preheat oven to 350°F. Brush
a 2-quart baking dish with olive
oil. Set aside.
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September 14 • 2017
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Make the sauce: Whisk togeth-
er the oil and flour in a large
saucepan over medium heat
for 1 minute. Stir in the mashed
butternut squash, almond or soy
milk and mustard and cook, stir-
ring, for 2 minutes. Remove from
heat and set aside.
For the pasta: Bring a large
pot of water to a boil over high
heat. Cook according to package
directions to al dente. Drain well
(reserve a little of the hot pasta
water). Stir the pasta into the
sauce. Add the vegan cheese and
stir well. Adjust salt and pepper
to taste.
Transfer to the prepared bak-
ing dish and bake for 20-30 min-
utes until hot. Makes 8 servings.
HERB-ROASTED VEGGIES
Gluten-Free/Vegan
To make this dish sweet, toss with
½ cup brown sugar before cooking;
after cooking, add 1 cup dried fruit,
such as cherries or golden raisins.
1 pound parsnips peeled and cut
into 1-inch chunks
1 pound peeled baby carrots
1 pound Yukon gold potatoes,
cut into 1-inch chunks
1 pound fresh golden beets,
peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
(if unavailable, use red beets)
¼ cup olive oil
1 Tbsp. fresh thyme leaves
1 Tbsp. dried parsley
Kosher salt and pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 425°F. Line
a rimmed baking sheet with
parchment. Set aside.
Toss all the ingredients
together in a large bowl.
Spread vegetables in one layer
in the prepared baking sheet
(if using red beets, keep sepa-
rate from other vegetables on
the baking sheet — they will
color the other vegetables, if
using) and roast for about 30
minutes, or until the vegeta-
bles are tender. Combine the
vegetables and adjust salt and
pepper to taste. Keep warm
until ready to serve. Makes 8
servings.
DIJON CHICKEN WITH
POMEGRANATE SEEDS
Gluten-Free/Low-Fat
3 pounds small boneless
and skinless chicken thighs or
breasts*
1 cup chicken broth or stock
¼ cup grained Dijon mustard
¹ / 3 cup real maple syrup
3 Tbsp. fresh rosemary leaves
3 Tbsp. olive oil
1 cup pomegranate seeds (arils)
Fresh chopped parsley, garnish
*Note: If the breasts are large,
cut them into smaller pieces and
pound between plastic wrap.
Method: Using a sharp knife to
cut the breasts in half — make a
horizontal cut from one side (the
thick side) completely through
to the other. Wet chicken with
water and place one piece
between two sheets of plastic
wrap. Use a meat mallet (or
something heavy, like a rolling
pin) and, starting with the thick-
est part of the chicken, pound
on the chicken gently, until the
pieces are of even thickness.
Season the thighs or breasts
with salt and pepper and transfer
to a large zipper-style plastic
storage bag.
Combine the broth, mustard,
maple syrup, rosemary and olive
oil in a bowl and whisk well.
Pour this over the chicken. Seal
the bag and turn the chicken
several times to coat. Chill and
marinate for 2-8 hours.
To cook: Preheat oven to 350°F.
Line a rimmed baking sheet with
parchment or foil and brush with
olive oil.
Remove the chicken from the
marinade and arrange on the
baking sheet (discard any unused
marinade). Cook the chicken
for about 20 minutes until just
cooked through. Serve with any
pan juices drizzled over and
pomegranate arils and chopped
parsley sprinkled over. Makes 8
servings.
FLOURLESS ALMOND
AND HONEY CAKE
Gluten-Free
1¾ cups ground almonds
4 large eggs, room temperature,
separated
½ cup honey
2 tsp. vanilla extract
½ tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. salt
Topping:
4 Tbsp. melted honey
1 cup sliced almonds, toasted
Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray
a 9-inch springform pan with
cooking spray. Line the bottom
with parchment. Set aside.
Combine egg yolks, ½ cup
honey, vanilla, baking soda and
salt in a bowl and whisk until
uniform. Set aside.
Whip egg whites with an elec-
tric mixer (with a whisk attach-
ment if possible) on medium
speed until thick, but not stiff
(soft peaks). Add the nut mixture
and, using a rubber spatula, gen-
tly fold the nut mixture into the
egg whites until just combined.
Transfer batter into the prepared
pan.
Bake the cake until golden and
a skewer inserted into the center
comes out clean, approximately
30 minutes. Cool completely.
Run a knife around the edge of
the pan and remove the spring-
form ring.
Remove the cake from the
pan bottom by placing the cake,
upside down, on a serving dish
and gently lifting off the pan bot-
tom. Peel away the parchment;
the bottom of the cake is the new
top.
Drizzle the top of the cake
with honey and sprinkle with
sliced almonds. Makes 12 or
more servings. •