New recipes for the New Year

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This month’s recipe selection focuses on dishes that will enhance your holiday celebration.

It seems that I spent days and multiple trips to the market,  as well as phone calls and whispered  secret tips about the availability of brisket for my twice a year homage to this traditional holiday cut of beef. If you’ve been lucky enough to score a brisket, this easy recipe is for you.   It allows you to even sit back and relax a little (after all that running around) by using the secret formula for brisket: low and slow.  The recipe is from the Joy of Kosher site developed by Jamie Geller.

RHrecipes2Overnight Brisket

Ingredients

3 large onions, thinly sliced
3 whole heads of garlic, sliced in half to reveal the cloves
1 whole brisket (fat on) or 2 second cut briskets
Kosher salt
Freshly cracked black pepper
1 cup dry red wine
3 cups beef or chicken broth
1 cup crushed tomatoes (optional)

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 225 degrees
  2. Layer sliced onions and garlic in a large roasting pan or Dutch oven. Season brisket with salt and pepper.
  3. Place brisket on top of onion and garlic. Pour wine, broth and tomatoes (if using) into pan. Cover food with a layer of parchment and then seal tightly with foil. This prevents aluminum from leeching.
  4. Roast at 225 degrees for 10 hours. (Now’s a good time to use the automatic functions on your oven.)
  5. Gently transfer the brisket to a cutting board to cool before slicing.
  6. While the meat is cooling, strain onions and garlic from pan juices, being sure to press all juices out. Skim fat off pan juices and reduce juices on stove top until it coats the back of a spoon.
  7. Slice the brisket across the grain and transfer back to pan.
  8. Store in fridge up to 3 days or freeze for 1 month. Freeze liquid separately from meat.
  9. Reheat brisket, covered at 250 degrees until hot. Serve with reduced pan juices.

NOTES: Accompany with noodles or a grain-maybe try farro or barley for a change from rice. Adding mushrooms to the grain or even gravy with add some depth of taste also. Allow about a ½ pound per person .

If you weren’t able to round up that brisket (there appears to be a shortage this year), this chicken dish will make a delicious substitute, both sweet and tangy and very colorful.

RHrecipes3Pomegranate Molasses Glazed Chicken and Carrots (Serves 4)

Ingredients

¼ cup pomegranate molasses
1 garlic clove, minced
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
½ teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon kosher salt, divided
½ teaspoon pepper, divided
1 ½ pounds boned, skinned chicken thighs
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 pound thin carrots, peeled and cut into 4 inch lengths
¼ cup finely chopped flat-leaf parsley

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
  2. Whisk together pomegranate molasses, molasses, garlic, lemon juice, cumin and ¼ tsp. each salt and pepper.
  3. Pat chicken thighs dry and season all over with remaining salt and pepper.
  4. Heat a Dutch oven over medium high heat and add oil. When hot but not smoking, add chicken and cook, turning once, until golden brown on both sides, about 5 minutes total. Transfer to a plate.
  5. Add carrots to Dutch oven and cook 5 minutes, turning occasionally. Arrange chicken in a single layer on top of carrots and drizzle with molasses mixture.
  6. Transfer to the oven and cook until the chicken juices run clear and molasses mixture has reduced a bit, about 15 minutes.
  7. Top with parsley to served.

NOTES: If you can’t find pomegranate molasses, substitute cranberry juice concentrate or make your own by gently boiling together 6 cups pomegranate juice, 1 cup sugar and 1 cup lemon juice until it’s reduced to 2 cups. Store covered in fridge.

Substitute chicken breasts for the thighs. Make sure to adjust the cooking time.

Use fresh mint instead of parsley for the final garnish.

Lastly, here’s a nod to the non-meat eaters with a flavorful salmon dish from Jewish cooking maven Joan Nathan. The background to the dish and a video can be found on the Tablet website. And for a new take on gefilte fish, try Nathan’s Salmon Gefilte Fish Mold also on tablet’s site.  

RHrecipes4Moroccan Fish   (8-10 servings)

Ingredients

½ teaspoon saffron threads
One 4 pound fillet of salmon
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
¾ cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
¾ cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 entire head of garlic, peeled and minced
4 medium tomatoes, sliced in rings
1 red pepper, sliced in rings
3 lemons, sliced in rings
¼ cup olive oil

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and place the entire fish in a glass or earthenware baking dish.
  2. Pour oil around the fish.
  3. Dissolve the saffron in about ½ cup of boiling water and let it sit for a few minutes.
  4. Sprinkle the fish with salt and pepper to taste. Then cover with ½ cup parsley, ½ cup cilantro, garlic, tomatoes, red pepper and lemons.
  5. Sprinkle the saffron water over the fish and tomatoes.
  6. Bake uncovered, for 20-15 minutes or until golden and crisp. Sprinkle with the remaining chopped parsley and cilantro.
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