Author: Holy Branches

One of the frequent regulars in our home, this is an easy and healthy meal that you can prepare ahead of time and mix just before you serve it.  For that reason, it’s a great choice for a lunch or dinner on Shabbat.  I often make the noodles and chicken and cut the veggies on Friday so that it’s ready to combine and serve before a meal on Shabbat. 

While it may be tempting to mix it ahead of time, don’t!  If kept overnight or even for a few hours in your fridge, the croutons will become mushy and the cheese slimy and very unappetizing! 

This dish is very flexible and we have varied it a lot over the years!  The type of pasta, cheese, vegetables, dressing, and more can be substituted with your favorites.  

The chicken can be whatever type you prefer – chicken breasts, rotisserie, thighs, or even canned chicken.  I marinate the chicken first sometimes for a more rich flavor.  I either cook it on the stove or in the Instant Pot.  Iceberg, romaine, leaf lettuce, or a mix of greens are all great options for the lettuce.

For the pasta, we commonly use spirals, but have also have used shells and tortellini with wonderful results.  The tomatoes can be any type – halved grape and cherry tomatoes are what we like best.  Cheddar, Mozzarella, and Parmesan cheeses work well in this recipe so use your favorite between those or use a mixture of all three!  Have fun with it!

Ingredients

3 cups of cooked chicken

4 cups shredded lettuce

12-16 ounces of pasta, cooked

1 can of corn

1/2 onion, diced

2 tomatoes, diced

5 ounce package croutons, any variety

12 ounce bottle of Raspberry Vinaigrette

2 cups shredded cheese (cheddar or mozzarella both work well)

Instructions

Combine all ingredients and enjoy!

My family loves this rice dish much that we make it a few times a week.  It works with just about anything you’d like to top I with and it’s also delicious on its own.  You can add meat to it if you’d like to make it more hearty.  Ground beef or shredded chicken both taste great with this rice!

Ingredients

3 tablespoons coconut oil

3 cups Jasmine or Basmati rice

1/2 onion, diced

2 tablespoons brown lentils (optional)

Garlic – 4 cloves, minced (or 2 tablespoons pre-minced garlic)

14 ounce can chicken broth

3/4 cup water

1 tablespoon Greek Seasoning (I use Cavender’s)

1 tablespoon oregano

Instructions

Set the Instant Pot to sauté and add coconut oil and rice. 

Sauté for a couple minutes, then add onions and lentils (if using).

After about a minute, add garlic and sauté for another minute.

Add chicken broth, water, and spices.

Set the Instant Pot to “Pressure Cook” for 4 minutes.

When finished cooking, let the Instant Pot natural release for 10 minutes, then quick release or let it natural release until fully depressurized.

Fluff rice and enjoy!

This roasty salsa is great on chips, tacos, burritos, enchiladas, eggs, and much more!  You can spice it as much as you’d like – chop the Serrano peppers separately and add to taste.  It’s difficult to tell how hot they are when I purchase them.  They’re sometimes blazing hot and sometimes milder. 

Ingredients

24 Tomatillos, husked

6 Serrano peppers, stems trimmed

1 onion, sliced

6 cloves garlic, peeled

1/4 lime juice

1 bunch cilantro, coarsely chopped

2 teaspoons salt

1 tablespoon cumin

Instructions

Broil whole tomatillos and Serranos in a single layer for 5 minutes or until tomatillos are olive green.

Turn tomatillos and Serranos over and broil other sides as well.

Turn oven down to 425°.

Combine onion and garlic and bake until onion is translucent and garlic has brown spots.

Stir/turn as needed while baking.

Let all ingredients cool to room temperature.

Pulse/puree all ingredients except Serrano peppers together.

Puree the Serrano peppers and add to other ingredient mixture to taste.

Tzimmes is a traditional Jewish recipe, usually served on Rosh Hashanah.  It has a base of carrots with a root vegetable and dried fruit added.  Cooked in a syrup of honey and cinnamon, this is a delicious addition to the sweet dishes on your Rosh Hashanah table or with any meal during the Autumn season.

I used dried apricots and cherries, but you can also use raisins, prunes, or other dried fruit.  Yams or sweet potatoes are called for in this recipe, but you could use another root vegetable as well.  Click here to view the original recipe. 

Pronunciation

Although not Hebrew in origin, Tzimmes starts with the sound of the Hebrew letter tsadi, which makes the sound at the end of the English word “nuts.”  It’s “tsim-ees”.

Ingredients

• 1 pound carrots, peeled and chopped into 1-inch chunks
• 2 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped into 1-inch chunks
• 1/2 cup dried cherries
• 1/2 cup dried apricots
• 1/2 cup fresh orange juice, plus the zest from 1 orange
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, plus more for greasing pan

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease an 11×7 inch baking pan and place carrots, sweet potatoes, dried cherries and dried apricots in pan.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together orange juice, zest, white wine, brown sugar, cinnamon and salt. Pour over the vegetable mixture and bake for 1 hour.
3. After 1 hour, if liquid is completely reduced, add a touch of water. Dot with butter and bake for 30 more minutes until vegetables are tender and liquid has become a glaze.

This is just a basic hummus recipe; made the way my family likes it.  We often make it on Friday so that we have something to snack on or serve with lunch on the Sabbath (Shabbat) that we don’t have to prepare.  We serve it with pita bread and veggies or put it on sandwiches or in wraps.  Sometimes we double the recipe so there’s plenty to go around and leftovers in the fridge.

Ingredients

• 3 cans garbanzo beans (leave a few whole if you plan to garnish with them)
• 1/3 cup tahini
• ½ cup lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 4 cloves garlic, halved (or more if you like garlic as much as we do!)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• Paprika
• Parsley (fresh or dried)

Blend garbanzo beans, tahini, lemon juice, salt, and garlic in blender or food processor until smooth.  Add small amounts of water to aid in blending if necessary.

Transfer mixture to a serving bowl and drizzle oil over hummus.

Garnish with paprika, parsley, and whole garbanzo beans. 

Serve with fresh vegetables and pita bread or spread on crackers or sandwiches.

Enjoy!

Here’s a convenient dish to use to have your hummus and veggies ready for your Shabbat snacking or lunch.  Fill with hummus and cut veggies on Friday and keep it in the fridge overnight.  Just take it out and serve or take it with you on a picnic!