Rosh Hashanah 5772

So it has been an eventful Rosh Hashanah for me. This was the first time that I prepared for Rosh Hashanah. And I must be honest; I have not had much, wait let me rephrase that, had no experience. I have not yet celebrated in Israel before nor with any Jewish family so you can see the challenges that were facing me, someone new to this Jewish festivities and the traditional food that symbolizes these holidays!

However, I have come prepared (if you can call it that?)! I had been researching as much as possible well ahead of time with books, online articles and blogs and boy its amazing how much a person can learn if you possess the passion to learn!

So there I was armed, most determined to make it be the best darn Rosh Hashanah celebration possible while being on our own! And I was most excited! I actually felt like it was the holidays, something that tends to dissipate the older we get. But this year was so different for me, in fact Efi mentioned that he had that feeling too which made me very happy! I grew a bit concerned when I popped in for some last minute shopping to find that the supermarkets shelves were practically empty since we live in a large Jewish community, streets were empty, neighborhood quiet. I thought that just maybe I was in over my head.

So it started off with a chicken, from what I understand I would need to make something sweet from it, and so my first real Rosh Hashanah experience begins…

Grilled pomegranate chicken

1 whole chicken

100% Pomegranate juice

1 Tbsp honey

1 Tbsp date syrup

Pomegranate perils

Sweet carrots (the gold coins)

4 carrots

Honey

½ tsp cinnamon

Grilled Sweet potatoes

2-3 Sweet potatoes

olive oil for brushing

½ pine nuts

Baby spinach or Rocket leaves

Sweet couscous

5-6 Prunes

5-6 Walnuts

Plain couscous

½ Tbsp cinnamon

½ Tbsp icing sugar (powdered sugar)

Pomegranate seeds

Sweet Potato and Apple rostti

1 Sweet potato

1 Apple

1 Egg

Start by preparing your sweet potato, peeled, cut chunky and lengthways, brushed with olive oil and put under the oven grill for approximately 45 mins.

Your chicken can be cleaned and just brushed with a little olive oil and also placed under the grill till crispy.

For the sauce, gently boil the pomegranate juice with the rest of the ingredients, carefully taste and adjust to your taste.

Carrots peeled and cut in rings to resemble that of coins, boiled till soft in water, drained . Put back on a very low heat and add the honey and cinnamon and stir around till all mixed through, approximately 5 mins.

For the rostti, peel both the sweet potato and apple, grate and mix together with the beaten egg. Heat a pan with a little olive oil and drop a tablespoon of the mixture and let brown and gently turn over to brown on the other side and once cooked through place on a paper towel.

Instant couscous prepared as per package instructions, tossed with a fork and a little butter, cinnamon, powdered sugar and pomegranate seeds. Decorate with the prunes which are first pitted, stuffed with the walnut and boiled in a little water till it almost turn to syrup.

Shana Tova!