Spring brings better weather and the celebrations of Easter and Passover and this year, Ramadan. I am offering three recipes with this blog that can be used for any of these celebrations. There are two side dishes and a dessert.
The two recipes for side-dishes are Tzimmes, a root vegetable “stew,” and a curried brown rice salad. The desert is a lemon yogurt ice cream which is plant-based and does not use dairy or eggs. I have been experimenting with this ice cream recipe and am quite happy with the results!
Tzimmes
Tzimmes (pronounced ‘tsi-mas) is a traditional dish often served for Rosh Hashanah (Jewish New Year), as a reminder for a sweet year, and for Passover. But this is a nutritious and colorful vegetable dish that can be served at any time of year and for any occasion. It goes easily with an Easter feast or a Ramadan meal.The word Tzimmes is a Yiddish word which probably has its origin in German, first known use about 1892. The colloquial use of the word is “making a fuss,” probably this relates to preparation of the vegetables prior to cooking; all that peeling and chopping!Each cook has his or her own recipe, just like many other traditional sorts of foods. So, you can find many recipes for this dish, all being somewhat different. I have had the best results cooking this on top of the stove, but many recipes recommend baking.My family does not like overly sweet foods very much, including desserts! As a result, I have not put any additional sweetener into it, nor have I used any oil. My version of this dish is a combination of carrots and sweet potatoes, along with chopped prunes, sliced apricots, and some onion. This is one of those dishes that each cook has his or her own favorite way of making, so feel free to modify it according to your tastes and cooking style.
Ingredients
- Equal amounts of chopped sweet potato and carrot rounds (I used 2 1/2 cups of each)
- 1 onion finely diced
- 6 dried apricots sliced in strips - 4 to 5 per apricot
- 6 dried prunes quartered
- 1 cup vegetable broth
- 1/2 cup white wine *
- 1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger. I keep mine in the freezer so I always have some available. I wash it well and confess that I do not peel it.
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Sprinkle of nutmeg
- * My trick is to freeze left-over wine, if there is just a small amount, instead of discarding it. I freeze in small containers the size of ice cubes. Then I have wine ready when only a small amount is needed for cooking.
Instructions
- In a large sauté pan or Dutch oven with a lid, sauté the onions in 2-3 teaspoons of broth until they are translucent. Add more broth, if necessary, to keep them from sticking.
- Add the carrots and 1/2 cup of broth and simmer for 10 minutes, covered.
- Add the sweet potatoes, prunes, apricots and the other 1/2 cup of broth and the 1/2 cup of white wine. Cook covered until the vegetables are done. The carrots take longer to cook than the sweet potatoes and remain firmer even when cooked.
- Add the cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg and mix well.
- Remove the vegetables to a serving dish and boil down the pan juice until it is somewhat thickened, then pour it over the vegetables.
- If you make this dish in advance of your meal, it can be reheated in a 350-degree oven for 1/2 hour, covered with foil for the first 15 minutes.
- This can be served with a sprinkling of chopped walnuts on top.
Curried Brown Rice Salad
This is a yummy salad with a little bite. If you do not like food too spicy, leave out the jalapeño pepper. This nicely replaces potatoes, for a change in taste and texture, and is great for outdoor picnics. The nice thing about this salad is that it can be made one-to-two days in advance, so it saves on last minute preparation, and leads to (hopefully) a more relaxed host or hostess. Refer to my blog on rice to review rinsing and cooking recommendations that decrease the amount of arsenic contamination normally found in rice.
Ingredients
- 2/3 cup raisins golden or regular or currents
- 1/4 cup lime juice 2 limes, or lemon juice, or flavored vinegar
- 1 1/2 cups brown long-grained rice
- 1 onion finely chopped
- 1 jalapeño chili pepper seeded with the inner membrane cut-away finely minced
- 1 Tablespoon grated fresh ginger
- 1 1/2 teaspoons curry powder
- 1 garlic clove minced
- 2-3 Tablespoons coarsely chopped cilantro or parsley for garnish
Instructions
- Combine juice or vinegar with the raisins/currents in a bowl and set aside.
- Rinse rice well by soaking in water and rubbing the grains between your fingers, until the water runs clear. This usually takes me about 5 rinses.
- Fill a Dutch oven with water and bring it to a boil. Add the rice and cook in gently boiling water until the rice is tender. When cooked, drain and rinse with warm water.
- Spread the rice on a rimmed cookie sheet and allow to dry. This will keep the rice from clumping together.
- Water or broth sauté the onion and jalapeño (if using) until the onion is softened. You do this by putting about 3-4 teaspoonfuls of water or vegetable broth into the frying pan, bringing it to a boil, adding the vegetables, turning down the heat to medium, and cooking, stirring occasionally. Add more water or broth in small amounts to keep the vegetables from sticking to the pan.
- Add the ginger, curry powder, and garlic and cook for 1-2 minutes. Remove from heat, stir in the raisin mixture, and allow to cool.
- When the raisin mixture has cooled, add to the rice, and toss to to combine. Salt and pepper to taste. Chill the salad until ready to serve, sprinkle with chopped cilantro or parsley prior to serving.
Lemon Yogurt Ice Cream (Plant-Based)
This is yummy ice cream, although it is plant-based, it does contain some sugar and about 10 grams of saturated fat, so it is not low calorie! It has a bright tangy flavor that is just right for spring holiday meals. The fun thing about making ice cream is that it can be made in advance and placed in a container in the freezer to await the serving day. To serve, remove the container from the freezer and allow the ice cream to soften enough to scoop into dishes.
Ingredients
- One 24-ounce container coconut-based yogurt
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
- 3/4 cup evaporated soy milk
- Candied lemon zest from one large lemon
For candied lemon zest:
- One large lemon
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup water
Instructions
- Using a sharp knife, cut just the zest off the lemon (no white pith), place it in a small saucepan covered with water. Bring to a boil and remove from the heat. Drain and do this two more times. This removes the bitterness from the zest.
- Cut the zest into small strips. Return to the pan and add 1/2 cup sugar and 1/2 cup water. Bring to a simmer and cook until the zest is translucent. Remove the zest with a slotted spoon.
- Cook the sugar-water down until about 1/2 the original volume. Add this concentrated sugar solution to the lemon juice and mix well.
For the ice cream:
- Place the yogurt into a large bowl and add the sugar, lemon juice mixture, evaporated soy milk, and 1/2 of the candied lemon zest. Stir until the sugar is completely dissolved.
- Freeze in a counter-top ice cream machine according to the machine’s directions. It will be soft.
- Mix in the remaining candied lemon zest.
- It can be served right away as a soft ice cream or placed in a container to store in the freezer for use on a later date.
I do hope these recipes will tingle your taste buds and that you have a Happy Spring!
