In the kitchen with Henny: Celebrating in the sukkah

Rosh Hashanah just ended, and already we’re planning our Sukkot menus. Just three days ago, there was no room in my fridge for one extra carrot, and now there’s almost nothing in there except for carrots. The irony!

And the cycle will continue over the next couple of weeks. Even for Yom Kippur, when we don’t eat, the supermarkets are packed with people buying food for before and after the fast. Again, the irony.

But Sukkot is something I look forward to all year. I love Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, with their days of prayer, reflection, and forgiveness, but there is something so special about sitting in a cozy sukkah, surrounded by guests, both spiritual and physical, and simply taking in Hashem’s love and kindness.

Sukkot is a time of real joy, and after all the planning, cooking, and preparing, I can’t wait to sit down in the sukkah and celebrate.

Arugula Salad with Maple Dressing 

Besides being beautiful, this salad is perfect for this time of year. The maple dressing and candied pecans give it a touch of autumn, while the mangoes are perfectly sweet right now.

You can use arugula, baby leaves, spinach, or a combination of whatever greens you like. As always, adapt it to fit your own culinary style and what your family enjoys.

Yields 6 servings

4 cups arugula (rocket)
3 cups mixed baby leaves
3 small cucumbers, thinly sliced
1 ripe mango, peeled and thinly sliced
1 apple, thinly sliced
½ cup candied pecans, roughly chopped
¼ cup sunflower seeds or pumpkin seeds, optional

Dressing:

¹⁄³ cup olive oil
2 Tbsp. maple syrup
2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
½ tsp. salt
Black pepper, to taste

In a small bowl or jar, combine the olive oil, maple syrup, lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, salt, and black pepper. Whisk or shake well until combined. Set aside, or refrigerate until ready to use.

Place the arugula and baby leaves on a large serving platter. Arrange the cucumbers, mango, and apple over the greens, then sprinkle with the candied pecans and sunflower or pumpkin seeds, if using. Drizzle the dressing over the salad just before serving and toss gently.

Crispy Potato Cups 

I don’t know why, but I always associate the sukkah with finger foods. Maybe it’s because we’re going up and down the stairs between the apartment and the sukkah, and I’d rather not carry large pans filled with hot liquid, or maybe it’s simply because finger foods are fun and the sukkah has such a fun feel to it.

When I saw the idea of making potato cups using just a potato, I thought, this sounds easy enough. I’m giving you a ground beef filling here, but you can really be as creative as you want.

For a vegan option, try mashed sweet potato or butternut squash. For a dairy version, fill them with sautéed veggies, mushrooms, and onions, and top with shredded cheese.

I love recipes that can be adapted to fit different meals. You can prepare a batch of the potato cups ahead of time and then fill them with whatever works best for the meal you’re serving.

Yields 12 potato cups

Potato cups:

12 small potatoes or 6 large potatoes, plus 1 large potato for the meat filling
2-3 Tbsp. olive oil
½ tsp. paprika
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. salt
½ tsp. ground black pepper
Oil spray, for greasing

Ground beef filling:

2 Tbsp. olive oil
2 large onions, diced
400 grams ground beef
1 red pepper, diced
¼ cup chopped fresh parsley or cilantro (coriander)
2 Tbsp. tomato sauce or BBQ sauce
½ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. ground black pepper
1 large cooked potato, reserved from the potato cups
1 egg

Place the potatoes, with the skins on, in a large pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil and cook until soft and easily pierced with a fork. Drain and let cool enough to handle. Set aside 1 large potato for the meat filling.

Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F. Grease a 12-cup muffin tin or ramekins very well with oil spray. Place one small potato, or half of a large potato – skin side down, into each muffin cup or ramekin. Using the bottom of a small glass, press each potato down and up the sides of the muffin cup, leaving the center hollow. Use a spoon to gently smooth and shape the potatoes into cups.

In a small bowl, combine the olive oil, paprika, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper. Brush the mixture generously over the inside and edges of each potato cup. Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until the edges begin to brown and crisp. Remove from the oven and allow the potato cups to cool in the muffin tin.

Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add the onions and sauté until soft and caramelized. Add the ground beef and cook for about 5 minutes, breaking it apart with a wooden spoon as it cooks. Add the red pepper, parsley or cilantro, tomato sauce or BBQ sauce, salt, and black pepper. Continue cooking for another 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the beef is cooked through and the pepper has softened.

Peel and mash the reserved cooked potato, then stir it into the meat mixture until everything is well combined.

Reduce the oven temperature to 180°C/350°F. Spoon the meat filling into the potato cups and bake for about 20 minutes. Allow the cups to cool for a few minutes in the muffin tin before carefully removing and serving.

Breaded Veal Chops 

Whenever I see breaded veal chops, I immediately think of my mother. She didn’t make them often, which is probably part of why I remember them so well, but when she did, I loved them.

Years later, on one of our visits to New York, our cousin Lisa, on my husband’s side, took us out to a meat Italian restaurant in Manhattan that she knew we liked. I spotted breaded veal on the menu, and, all of a sudden, that memory came rushing back. I ordered it, and it came with creamy mashed potatoes and was smothered in fried onions. It was every bit as comforting and delicious as I remembered.

Veal chops are not something you see very often here, but around the holidays they tend to show up more at the butcher. So if you spot them, pick up a few and make these easy breaded veal chops for one of your Sukkot meals. The crispy coating and fried onions make them feel festive without being complicated.

Yields 4 servings

4 veal chops
1 cup potato starch or wheat flour
2 eggs, beaten
2 cups unseasoned bread crumbs
¾ tsp. salt
½ tsp. ground black pepper
2 Tbsp. granulated garlic
½ tsp. paprika
½-¾ cup oil, for frying
1 large onion, sliced into rings

Prepare three shallow plates. Place the potato starch or flour on the first plate. On the second plate, place the beaten eggs and season with ¼ tsp salt and a dash of black pepper. On the third plate, combine the bread crumbs, granulated garlic, paprika, ½ tsp salt, and ½ tsp black pepper.

Heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Dip each veal chop first into the potato starch or flour, then into the egg mixture, and finally into the bread crumbs, making sure it is well coated on all sides.

Place the breaded veal chops in the hot oil and fry for 8-10 minutes on the first side. Flip and fry for another 8 minutes, or until golden and crisp on the outside and cooked through.

While the veal is frying, add the onion slices to the same pan. Fry until golden and crisp, removing them as they are ready.

Transfer the veal chops to a serving platter, scatter the crispy onions over the top, and serve warm.

Cookie Crust Brownies 

I feel very blessed that I get to cook with my students at Midreshet Darkaynu on Wednesday evenings. Last year, one of the students, Atara, asked if we could make these triple-layer brownies that she loves. I was a little skeptical at first because they sounded complicated, but they really weren’t.

We divided the group into two. One group prepared the chocolate chip cookie crust while the other made the brownie batter. And what goes in the middle? Oreos. That part was simple enough!

We spread the cookie dough into the pan, arranged the Oreos on top, and then poured the brownie batter over everything. It was such a fun dessert to make together, and even more fun to eat.

Because these brownies are so rich, they’re not something I would make all the time, which is exactly why I think they’re perfect for Sukkot. It’s a festive dessert, a little over the top, and definitely one that feels like a celebration.

Yield: 20-24 brownies

Cookie layer:

¹⁄³ cup brown sugar
¹⁄³ cup granulated sugar
¹⁄³ cup oil
1 egg
½ tsp. vanilla extract
1½ cups flour
1 tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. salt
¹⁄³ cup chocolate chips
20 Oreo cookies or other chocolate sandwich cookies

Brownie layer:

½ cup oil
250 grams chocolate
1 tsp. vanilla extract
3 eggs
1 cup sugar
¾ cup flour
¼ tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. salt

Preheat the oven to 175°C/350°F. Line or grease a 23 x 33 cm. (9 x 13-inch) baking pan.

For the cookie layer, mix the brown sugar, granulated sugar, egg, oil, and vanilla until well combined. Add the flour, baking soda, and salt, and mix until a dough forms. Add the chocolate chips and mix until evenly incorporated. Press the cookie dough evenly into the bottom of the prepared pan, then arrange the Oreo cookies in a single layer over the cookie dough.

For the brownie layer, place the chocolate and oil in a small saucepan over low heat and stir until melted and smooth. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool slightly. In a separate bowl, mix the eggs, sugar, and vanilla until combined. Slowly add the melted chocolate mixture, stirring as you pour. Add the flour, baking soda, and salt, and mix until smooth.

Pour the brownie batter over the Oreo layer and spread evenly. Bake for about 30-35 minutes, or until the brownie layer is set and a toothpick inserted into the brownie portion comes out with moist crumbs.

Allow the brownies to cool completely before cutting into squares.

I HOPE you found some of these recipes exciting and that they’re getting you into the festive Sukkot mood. Although we still have Shabbat Shuva and Yom Kippur in the coming days, Sukkot will be here before we know it.

It’s such a meaningful time of year, filled with reflection, prayer, and forgiveness, and hopefully giving us the ability to move forward with more understanding, connection, and unity.

I want to take this opportunity to wish you a year filled with good health, laughter, and joy. May it be a year of coming together, of feeling more connected to one another, and of enjoying many festive meals together with the people we love.■

Henny 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 hag on time. To book her for one-on-one coaching or an exciting food workshop: www.inthekitchenwithhenny.com