In the kitchen with Henny: Short Friday shortcuts for Shabbat preparation

A few weeks ago, our family had the pleasure of spending Shabbat with dear friends in Ramat Beit Shemesh. Over the years, it has become a tradition to spend Parshat Noah with them. The week leading up to that Shabbat is always particularly hectic for me, as I’m busy preparing and selling my rainbow challah dough. My dear friend Gila knows just how busy I am and generously invites us to spend Shabbat with her family.

What makes these visits so special is that our families are all friends. Our husbands enjoy spending time together, our daughters are the same age, and I treasure the opportunity to catch up with Gila, whom I don’t get to see nearly often enough. It’s always a Shabbat filled with good company, wonderful conversations, and delicious food.

This year, I was especially impressed by how Gila pulled everything together. She works full-time, is a very hands-on mother, and still manages to serve an incredible variety of delicious dishes, all with a smile. What impressed me most was how simple many of the recipes were to prepare, yet how flavorful the results were.

With shorter Fridays upon us, I thought this was the perfect time to share some of the inspiration I brought home from Gila’s kitchen. These recipes are simple, require minimal hands-on preparation, and prove that a delicious Shabbat meal doesn’t have to mean spending the entire Friday cooking.

All-purpose spice mix

One of my favorite kitchen shortcuts is keeping a homemade spice mix ready to use. When you’re preparing several dishes for Shabbat, the last thing you want is to keep pulling out five or six different spices for every recipe. Having one jar of your favorite seasoning blend makes cooking quicker, easier, and creates less cleanup.

I use my spice mix on just about everything, from roasted vegetables and potatoes to chicken, fish, soups, and meat dishes. The best part is that you can make it your own. Use the spices your family enjoys, adjust the seasonings to your taste, and create a blend that works with your everyday cooking. It takes just a few minutes to prepare but saves time throughout the week.

Prep time: 5 minutes

Yield: Approximately ½ cup
1 clean, dry, empty spice jar, approximately 150-200 ml. in capacity, with a tight-fitting lid
3 Tbsp garlic powder
2 Tbsp dried onion flakes or onion powder
1 Tbsp sweet paprika
1 Tbsp dried parsley flakes
1½ tsp kosher salt
1 tsp ground black pepper
½ tsp turmeric
½ tsp ground ginger
¼ tsp hot red pepper flakes, optional

Add all the spices directly into the empty spice jar. Close the lid tightly and shake well until all the spices are evenly combined.

Store in a cool, dry place away from heat and moisture. Use to season roasted vegetables, potatoes, chicken, fish, soups, and meat dishes.

For a larger batch, double the recipe and use a larger spice container, approximately 330 g. in size.

Kitchen Tip: Keep your spice mix within easy reach when cooking. Whether you’re preparing a full Shabbat menu or a quick weekday dinner, having your favorite seasonings combined in one jar means fewer containers to open, fewer things to put away, and a little less time spent in the kitchen.

Golden roasted vegetables

I always thought I didn’t like fennel because of its licorice-like flavor. But on Friday night, when Gila served roasted fennel alongside red onions, she encouraged me to give it a try. I told her I wasn’t a fan of the licorice taste, but she explained that roasting it with a little olive oil and salt changes the flavor completely.

I decided to put some on my plate and was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed it! The roasted onions were just as delicious, and the two went beautifully together.

Inspired by Gila’s dish, I decided to add kohlrabi, which often sits right next to the fennel in the supermarket. I sliced all three vegetables, roasted them together, and ended up with a simple dish bursting with flavor. It’s a wonderful addition to a main course, alongside other side dishes, or even served with fresh bread and dips.

Yield: 4-6 servings
2 red onions, sliced into half-moons
1 fennel bulb, thinly sliced
1 kohlrabi, peeled and sliced into thin strips
3 Tbsp olive oil
1 tsp kosher salt
½ tsp ground black pepper
1 tsp balsamic vinegar, optional

Preheat the oven to 200° Celsius. Line a large baking sheet with baking paper.

Cut off the green stalks and fronds of the fennel, using only the white bulb. Trim the base, remove any tough outer layer, and slice the bulb thinly. Peel the kohlrabi and cut it into thin strips. Peel the red onions, cut them in half, and slice into half-moons.

Spread all three vegetables on the prepared baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil, add the salt, pepper, and a small splash of balsamic vinegar, if using, and toss until evenly coated.

Roast for 30-40 minutes, gently mixing once halfway through, until the vegetables are tender and lightly caramelized around the edges.

Serve warm or at room temperature.

Pot roast with za’atar 

When Gila was planning our Shabbat meals, she mentioned to her coworker Barbara that she was looking for a new meat recipe for her Friday night guests. Barbara was happy to share one of her favorites, and Gila decided to give it a try.

Before preparing the roast, Gila checked with me to make sure we didn’t have any allergies to za’atar. I assured her that za’atar was fine, but I remember wondering why anyone would put za’atar on a pot roast. Well, one bite was all it took to understand! The meat was incredibly tender and flavorful, and the za’atar added a subtle richness without overpowering the natural flavor of the beef.

What makes this recipe even better is how simple it is to prepare. Everything cooks in one large pot on the stovetop, with very little attention needed once it’s simmering. I think you could even add some small potatoes to the pot and have an entire Friday night dinner ready with hardly any extra effort.

Yields 8-10 servings
1 beef shoulder roast (Israeli cut No. 5), approximately 2-2.5 kg.
2-3 large onions, sliced
2 Tbsp olive oil
6 cloves garlic
4 Carrots, cut into strips
1 Tbsp za’atar seasoning
1-2 Tbsp All-Purpose Spice Mix (recipe above)
1 tsp kosher salt
½ tsp ground black pepper
1 cup red wine
1 cup water

Drizzle a little olive oil into a large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Add the shoulder roast and sear on all sides until nicely browned, approximately 5 minutes per side. Remove the meat from the pot and set aside.

Add a little more olive oil to the same pot, followed by the sliced onions. Sauté for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the carrot strips and garlic, and continue sautéing for another 5 minutes, until the vegetables begin to soften.

Return the roast to the pot, placing it on top of the vegetables. Sprinkle the za’atar and 1-2 Tbsp of the Everyday All-Purpose Spice Mix (recipe included in this article) over the meat.

Pour in the red wine and water, bring to a gentle simmer, then reduce the heat to low and cover the pot. Cook for approximately 3½-4 hours until fork-tender. Check occasionally to make sure there is enough liquid in the pot, adding a little water if needed.

Allow the roast to cool slightly before slicing. Serve with the softened vegetables and cooking juices spooned over the meat.

Optional: Add small potatoes to the pot during the last 60-90 minutes of cooking for an easy, complete Friday night dinner.

Orange coconut cake 

After Friday night dinner, Gila and her husband opened their home to the neighborhood for a gathering filled with inspiring words from my wonderful rabbi husband, as well as singing and refreshments. We all pitched in to help set up, and my daughter happily volunteered to cut one of the cakes into squares and arrange them in cupcake holders on a dessert platter.

Of course, there’s an unwritten rule that you can’t cut a cake without tasting it! My daughter, who loves baking, took her role as taste tester very seriously and was immediately impressed. She asked Gila for the recipe, which had been shared with her by her neighbor Idit, who happened to be at the gathering that evening. The original recipe came from Osem’s website, and I’ve made a few adjustments to simplify the preparation and make it my own.

My daughter noticed a flavor that was different from an ordinary vanilla cake and was surprised to discover that the secret ingredient was shredded coconut. It added a wonderful richness without making the cake grainy. The cake was incredibly light, fluffy, and moist, needing nothing more than a simple dusting of powdered sugar before serving.

Yields one 9 × 13” pan or one 24 cm. round pan
3 eggs
¾ cup sugar
1½ cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 package (80 g.) instant vanilla pudding mix
¾ cup oil
¼ cup shredded coconut
1 cup orange juice

Preheat the oven to 170°. Grease your cake pan.

Using an electric mixer, beat the eggs and sugar for 3-4 minutes, until light and fluffy.

Add the oil, instant vanilla pudding mix, and orange juice. Mix gently, then add the flour, baking powder, and shredded coconut. Mix on low speed just until incorporated, being careful not to overmix.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for approximately 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Allow the cake to cool before dusting with powdered sugar, if desired.

I KNOW these shorter Fridays are going to take some getting used to, but the good news is that by the time we adjust, the days will already be getting longer again!

In the meantime, I’m looking forward to those long, cozy Friday nights filled with games, good conversation, and maybe even a chance to catch up on some reading.

Most importantly, I’ll be making sure I have a plan to keep Fridays simple. By preparing what I can throughout the week and leaving less cooking for Friday, I can spend more time enjoying Shabbat and less time rushing to get everything done.

Wishing you all a cozy Shabbat, filled with delicious food and surrounded by the people you love.■

The writer is a kitchen coach who teaches women how to meal plan and cook, so they get dinner on the table and prepare for Shabbat and chag on time. Learn more about one-on-one coaching or food workshops: www.inthekitchenwithhenny.com