Good Shabbos, Shabbat Shalom! When it comes to choosing a menu for your Shabbat table, there are so many choices. Each family has their own style.
Some people like to serve a traditional menu on Shabbat: Gefilte fish, meatballs or chopped liver, chicken soup, chicken, a kugel or two, a salad or two, and a vegetable dish or two…and of course, don’t forget about cake or cookies for dessert.
Others are always searching for something new for their Shabbat menu. It all depends on whether you’re having guests, how large or small your family is, or whether it’s a special occasion like a birthday, anniversary, or holiday. It also depends on whether you go to work or are a stay-at-home parent, and how fussy or adventurous your family is. Decisions, decisions!
For me, it’s always a challenge to decide on my menu – I keep changing my mind, thinking of all kinds of new ideas and different combinations. I have thousands of recipes in my repertoire as I’ve authored 11 cookbooks and have a huge collection of over 2,000 cookbooks! There are cookbooks everywhere in my house – my world revolves around food. My menu usually ends up being based on what I have on hand in my refrigerator and pantry.
But my friend and co-author, Daniella Silver, has no problem at all – she can create a delicious, innovative menu for any occasion in about two minutes flat! A busy mom with three gorgeous little girls, Daniella has an artistic flare for creating dishes that use readily-available ingredients and are simple to prepare, yet look simply spectacular.
Daniella and I co-authored The Silver Platter: Simple to Spectacular (Artscroll/Mesorah), published nearly a year ago, with over 20,000 copies sold to date – a best-seller! If you don’t have a copy of this gorgeous cookbook on your cookbook shelf yet, you should. It’s packed with ideas for Shabbat, special celebrations, and tons of recipes that are perfect for Pesach.
While editing recipes for our new cookbook, which Artscroll will publish in time for Chanukah, Daniella whipped up this marvelous menu during the time it took me to make a cup of coffee. Now all I need is an invitation to her Shabbat table! Daniella’s reply? “Of course!”
The three scrumptious recipes I’m featuring in this week’s blog are all gluten-free, delicious, and healthy. The wholesome, family-friendly recipes in Daniella’s menu can all be found in The Silver Platter: Simple to Spectacular. Enjoy in good health!
DANIELLA SILVER’S SHABBAT MENU
Appetizers:
Sticky Sesame Salmon
Crunchy Celery & Cucumber Salad
Main Course:
Balsamic Braised Brisket
Apple Cranberry Couscous (below)
Roasted Baby Potatoes and Tomato Medley
Red Cabbage and Kale Salad (below)
Dessert:
Fudgy Pretzel Brownies
Fruit Platter
STICKY SESAME SALMON
Pareve/Gluten-Free
Yields: 6-8 main-dish servings
Made with pantry essentials, this dish takes almost no time to prepare. It pairs perfectly with almost any side dish and can easily be multiplied, so it’s a great dish to whip together for a crowd.
Note: If serving this as an appetizer, serve half a salmon fillet per person.
1/2 cup honey
3 Tbsp soy sauce or tamari
4 cloves garlic, minced (about 2 tsp)
Juice of 1/2 lemon (about 2 Tbsp)
1/4 cup sesame seeds, plus extra for garnish
6-8 salmon fillets (about 6 oz/180 g each)
1. In a small bowl, stir together honey, soy sauce, garlic, lemon juice, and sesame seeds.
2. Preheat oven to 425 F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil; coat with nonstick cooking spray.
3. Arrange salmon in a single layer on prepared baking sheet. Drizzle sauce over fish. Let stand for 20 minutes, if time allows.
4. Bake, uncovered, for 12-15 minutes, basting occasionally, until salmon is glazed and golden.
5. Garnish with sesame seeds. Serve hot or at room temperature.
Norene’s Notes
- Salmon fillets often have pin bones that should be removed before cooking. To remove them easily, drape the salmon, flesh-side up, over an inverted curved bowl. The bones will protrude and will be easy to remove with a pair of tweezers.
APPLE-CRANBERRY COUSCOUS
Pareve/Gluten-Free Option/Do not freeze
Yields: 4-6 servings
The bright flavours and crunchy textures of this colorful, autumn-inspired dish bring just the right amount of sweetness to a meal. It multiplies easily for a crowd.
1 1/2 cups Israeli couscous (about one 8.8 ozpkg) (see Norene’s Notes, below)
1/2 green apple, julienned (do not peel)
1/2 red apple, julienned (do not peel)
1 Tbsp lemon juice (preferably fresh)
3/4 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup candied almonds or pecans (optional)
Dressing
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
2 Tbsp honey or pure maple syrup
1 tsp kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1. Cook couscous according to package directions. Fluff with a fork; let cool.
2. In a serving bowl, toss apples with lemon juice. Add couscous and cranberries.
3. Dressing: Combine ingredients for dressing in a glass jar; seal tightly, and shake well.
4. Add dressing to couscous mixture and mix well. Top with almonds, if using. Serve chilled or at room temperature.
Norene’s Notes
- To make this dish gluten-free, use brown rice couscous, quinoa, kasha, or a rice blend; cook according to package directions.
- Israeli couscous is actually toasted pasta and originated in Israel. It is also known as pearl couscous or maftoul.
RED CABBAGE & KALE SALAD
Pareve/Gluten-Free
Yields: 8 servings
This crunchy salad wins major points: It’s super-delicious, with all the right flavours and textures. Massaging kale transforms the leathery leaves into a sweet, delicate salad.
1 medium bunch kale (about 1 lb/500 g)
1 pkg (16 oz/500 g) sliced red cabbage
1 can (14 oz/400 g) sliced hearts of palm, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup toasted sunflower or pumpkin seeds (see Norene’s Notes, below)
Dressing
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup rice vinegar
3 Tbsp soy sauce or tamari
2 Tbsp honey or pure maple syrup
1/2 tsp kosher salt, or to taste
Freshly ground black pepper
1. Wash and dry kale. Remove and discard tough stalks and centre veins. Massage kale with your fingertips for about 5 minutes, until leaves have wilted. Chop into bite-sized pieces.
2. Combine kale with cabbage and hearts of palm in a large bowl. Cover and chill.
3. Dressing: Combine dressing ingredients in a glass jar; seal tightly and shake well. Refrigerate.
4. Toss salad with dressing shortly before serving. Top with sunflower or pumpkin seeds.
Norene’s Notes
- To toast sunflower or pumpkin seeds, spread in a 9-inch pie plate and bake in a preheated 350 F oven for 5-7 minutes, until fragrant.
- If you have both sunflower and pumpkin seeds on hand, use a combination.
Norene Gilletz is the leading author of kosher cookbooks in Canada. She is the author of eleven cookbooks and divides her time between work as a food writer, food manufacturer, consultant, spokesperson, cooking instructor, lecturer, and cookbook editor.
Norene lives in Toronto, Canada and her motto is “Food that’s good for you should taste good!” For more information, visit her website or email her at [email protected].