Thanksgiving - with and Israeli Twist

Thanksgiving is an all-American holiday.  But the theme of the year at Beth El is Israel.  Is there a way to incorporate the two?  YES - thanks to Jill Rider our Vice President of Community Engagement.  


On a recent trip to Israel, Jill visited a winery in Northern Israel and came back with this terrific recipe for sweet potatoes (a Thanksgiving staple) with an Israeli twist - the addition of tahini.  The recipe is simple, with a balance of sweet and spice.  This recipe could easily stand on it's own, but should also make a nice side dish next to a roast turkey!  The recipe is especially great for the holiday because it can be served at room temperature so you don't have to worry about taking everything out of the oven at the same time.


Sweet Potatoes - Roasted with Tahini
Ingredients:
5 large sweet potatoes (cut into wedges)
1-2 tablespoons olive oil
1-2 tablespoons brown sugar (or coconut sugar)
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper, to taste
Salt and Pepper to taste
2 cups high quality tahini


Directions:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Toss sweet potatoes with olive oil, sugar, cayenne, salt and pepper.  Spread in a single layer on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.  Roast for 15-20 minutes (or until one side is browned) and flip.  Continue to roast until the second side has browned.  Allow potatoes to cool.  To serve, pour 1-1 1/2 cups of tahini on the bottom of the serving platter.  Spread the potatoes on top and drizzle with additional tahini. 

This recipe and many others suitable for your Thanksgiving table can be found in the new Sisterhood/Zhava Community Cookbook,  EAT IN GOOD HEALTH.  The book can be purchased on the Beth El Website Sisterhood page  https://www.bethelmc.org/groups/sisterhood/cookbook/, in the Beth El Office or Judaica Shop.  It makes a great hostess gift for Thanksgiving.

In addition this recipe and a number of others will be demonstrated at a Hanukkah event co-sponsored by the Am Yisroel Chai Committee as well as Sisterhood and Zhava on Sunday, December 17th 11 a.m.  

And don't miss the special Sisterhood/Zhava Cookbook kickoff event on December 3rd, "What the Rabbis and Chazzan Eat"

Thanksgiving is upon us!  Thanksgiving, although not a Jewish holiday, is a holiday that is very Jewish.  The value HaKarat HaTov, Gratitude, is a very Jewish idea.  There is a Jewish tradition of saying 100 blessings every day.  There is a story behind this.  During the reign of King David, there was a terrible plague that took the lives of exactly 100 people each day.  The rabbis at the time instituted the practice of reciting 100 blessings per day.  The plague immediately stopped.  

There are blessings to show gratitude for almost everything: from seeing a rainbow, to seeing the ocean, to wearing a new special outfit, to eating and drinking.  During this holiday, think about all of the times where you can make a blessing and be thankful.

If you are looking for a healthy start to your Thanksgiving (or Shabbat) dinner, try this roasted cauliflower soup.  It is very easy to make and delicious.  If you want to make it dairy, use vegetable broth and add 1/3 cup of cream.

Roasted Cauliflower Soup
Ingredients:
1 head of cauliflower
2 leeks (whites only)
2 cloves of garlic, diced
4 cups of chicken broth
1 cup of water
oil
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Chop cauliflower into small florets.  Place them on a baking sheet with a little oil, salt and pepper and roast for about 30 minutes.  Meanwhile saute sliced leeks with a little more oil in a large soup pot.  After the leeks become translucent and the cauliflower is cooked, add the cauliflower to the pot along with the garlic and broth.  Cook for another 5 minutes, then blend the soup with an immersion blender.  Season with salt and pepper as necessary.

Thanksgivukkah

We've been hearing about this for months now, the first day of Hanukkah and Thanksgiving coincide (we light candles starting Wednesday night).  This hasn't happened since 1888 and won't again for over 70,000 years.  So it is fair to say that this is the only Thanksgivukkah any of us have, or will, see.  And that is something really special!

 

Blogs, Pinterest boards, clothing and other merchandise have all popped up about Thanksgivukkah.   My favorite aspect of this upcoming holiday is the food.  And I'll be the first to tell you that I am looking forward to having cranberry sauce, instead of apple, on my latkes. 

 

Since Thanksgivukkah is fast approaching, I started to test a recipe that I want to use for Shabbat, the day after Thanksgivukkah.  I think the recipe will be great with leftover turkey and stuffing without it looking or tasting like you are using leftovers.  I tested this recipe with ground turkey, because I didn't have time to roast a turkey too.

 

 

 

Thanksgiving-stuffed Acorn Squash

Ingredients:

1 package of seasoned stuffing mix * can use leftover stuffing

1 lb ground turkey *can use leftover roasted turkey, chopped or shredded

3 acorn squash

1 onion

3-4 stalks of celery

3-4 carrots

1 cup craisins

Chicken broth or water, as needed for stuffing mix

 

Directions:

Pre heat oven to 350 degrees.

 

Microwave acorn squash (1 at a time) for 2-3 minutes.  This makes it a little easier to cut the squash.  With a large knife, cut squash in half, de-seed (save the seeds to toast if you like them).  Place the squash, cut side down, on a large baking sheet.  Bake until tender, but not soft, about 25 - 30 minutes. 

 

In the meantime, brown turkey (or chop leftover turkey) and prepare stuffing as directed on package.  If the package does not mention, add sautéed onion, carrots and celery.  After turkey is browned and stuffing is made, combine the two and add the craisins. 

 

Take out acorn squash and flip over.  Fill stuffing mixture into the squash and re-heat for another 10 minutes until squash is soft.  Top with toasted squash seeds (or even a little leftover cranberry sauce). 

 

This makes 6 over filled squash halves for large portions.  However, if you will be eating this with other dishes, you might want to cut the halves again and serve quarters.