NOVEMBER 12 • 2020 | 33 Balsamic glaze or balsamic vinegar, garnish Directions Preheat oven to 400°F. Have 2 rimmed baking sheets ready to use. Cut the vegetables into bite- sized pieces (keep asparagus and green beans whole — just trim the ends.) Divide the vegetables into those that cook quickly and those that cook more slowly (generally, the harder the vegetable, the longer it takes for them to become tender. For example, asparagus only needs about 8 minutes to cook. Brussels sprouts require 20-30 minutes. Again, group veggies by cooking time in separate pans so that they finish cooking at the same time. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper (you do NOT need a lot of oil). Roast vegetables for 8-30 minutes depending on the “hardness” of the vegetables. Serve the vegetables hot, warm or at room temperature, drizzled with balsamic glaze or balsamic vinegar, makes 6-8 servings. MAKE-AHEAD MASHED POTATOES The key to making these ahead is that they are fairly “loose” or soft. That’ s because they get thicker when prepared a day before. When you reheat these potatoes, they will be perfect! I like to use gold potatoes because they have a delicious buttery flavor. Ingredients 5 pounds peeled Yukon Gold potatoes, cut into 2-inch chunks ¼ cup (1 stick) butter or margarine 1 cup sour cream or vegan sour cream ½ cup milk, unflavored almond or oat milk or nondairy creamer Salt and pepper to taste Ground black pepper to taste Olive oil for drizzling Directions Spray a casserole dish (a 2 quart or equivalent) or baking dish with nonstick cooking spray or brush with olive oil and set aside. NOTE: A larger, more shallow baking dish will result in a more golden, golden crust on top. Place potatoes in a large pot of water. Bring to a boil, and cook until tender, about 15 minutes. Drain well and transfer to a large bowl. DO NOT RINSE — these should be very hot. Add butter, sour cream and milk, and mash or whip with an electric mixer. Adjust salt and pepper to taste. Transfer to the prepared casserole dish. Cover and chill until ready to reheat. Preheat oven to 350°F. Drizzle or brush the top of the potatoes with olive oil and bake, uncovered for 30-45 minutes. Serve hot. Makes 8 servings. SLOW COOKER APPLESAUCE You can use this recipe for any fruit — pears, plums, even pineapple! I like to "err" on the side of less sugar. While the applesauce is still hot after cooking, you can add more sugar to taste. Ingredients 5 pounds peeled, cored, apples (your favorite variety), cut into 2-inch chunks ½ cup sugar (to taste), some apples are naturally sweeter than others 1-2 tsp. ground cinnamon (optional), to taste 1 Tbsp. lemon juice Directions Place apple chunks in a large bowl. Toss with lemon juice and then add in sugar and cinnamon, stirring to combine. Cover lid. Cook on HIGH for 3-4 hours, (harder apples take a little longer), until apples are very soft. Stir and adjust sugar and cinnamon to taste. Eat hot, warm or cold. Freezes beautifully! Makes 2 quarts. SKINNY PUMPKIN PIE CAKE 2 cups flour 2 tsp. baking powder 1 tsp. baking soda 1 tsp. salt 1 tsp. cinnamon 2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice 4 large eggs 1 cup brown sugar 3 cups pumpkin puree (I used canned) 2 tsp. Vanilla extract To serve: Fresh, lightly sweetened whipped cream (the canned is fine), optional Garnish: Powdered sugar and fresh cranberries Directions Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a 9×13-inch baking pan or dish, with nonstick cooking spray or line with parchment. Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and pumpkin pie spice together in a large bowl. Set aside. Whisk the oil, eggs, brown sugar, pumpkin and vanilla extract together until combined. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and whisk and stir until combined (you may also use an electric mixer, but do not over mix — it will make the cake heavy). Transfer into the prepared pan. Bake for 35 minutes or until the top is dry and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove the cake from the oven and set pan on a cooling rack (I place on my gas stove). Cool completely. Run a knife around the edge of the pan and turn the cake over onto a cutting board (it will be upside down). Peel off the parchment, if using, and turn the cutting board onto a serving dish. Cut the cake into squares. Makes 20 servings. Read more recipes at thejewishnews.com.