Kim Kushner’s Rosh Hashanah Apple & Olive Oil Cake
Simplicity at its finest. A humble vanilla cake, topped with a mosaic of apple slices, and sprinkled with cinnamon sugar—only this one is made using olive oil, which gives it a rich, Mediterranean taste. Tried and true, it will tempt you to make it time and time again.
Makes one 9-inch (23-cm) cake
1/2 cup (120 ml) light olive oil, plus more for greasing
1/2 cup (100 g) sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract or seeds from 1 vanilla bean
3 large eggs
2 tablespoons milk or almond milk
1 3/4 cups (200 g) all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
2 apples, peeled, cored and cut into thin slices
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon light or dark brown sugar
Preheat the oven to 325°F (160°C). Line the base of a 9-inch (23-cm) springform pan with parchment paper and grease the base and sides with oil.
Using a handheld electric mixer, or a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the 1/2 cup (120 ml) oil, sugar, and vanilla. Beat until creamy, about 2 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, beating each until incorporated. Add the milk and stir on low. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt, add to the wet ingredients, and mix on low until incorporated.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan, and arrange the apple slices on top of the batter, pressing the apples slightly into the batter in any motif you may like. Sprinkle the cinnamon and brown sugar over the top of the apples, and bake in the oven until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean, about 45 minutes.
Set the cake on a rack and let cool completely before unmolding and placing on a cake plate to serve.
Make ahead tip: Apple and olive oil cake may be made and wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and stored in a cool place for up to 2 days.
Apple and olive oil cake may be wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and stored in the freezer for up to 2 months. Thaw the apple and olive oil cake on the counter for a few hours.
Recipe from Kim Kushner’s “I Heart Kosher” cookbook.
Recipe: Roasted Salmon Topped With Squash & Zucchini Crunchies
Roasted salmon with squash and zucchini crunchies
A side of salmon can always feed a big crowd, and this recipe - a staple of mine — works well for guests of all ages and palates. Beautiful salmon topped with crunchy spiralized squash and zucchini ribbons: the colors are gorgeous and the taste is delicious. You just can’t go wrong. I like my crunchies really crunchy, and in order to crisp them up without burning them, once they’ve gotten 75 percent as crispy as I want them to be, I turn the oven off and leave them in there overnight.
MAKES 6–8 SERVINGS
FOR THE CRUNCHIES
2 cups (230 g) spiralized butternut squash
2 cups (230 g) spiralized zucchini
3 tablespoons melted
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
FOR THE SALMON
1- to 3-lb (450 g–1.4 kg) side of salmon, skin removed
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon paprika
Sea salt
Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Line 2 rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper.
To prepare the crunchies, in a large bowl, toss together the squash, zucchini, oil, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Transfer the squash and zucchini to the prepared baking sheets. Make sure you don’t overcrowd the baking sheets. If you need one more sheet, please use it. Bake until crisp, 30–40 minutes, tossing the veggies halfway through baking to prevent burning. Remove from the oven and set aside. If the squash and zucchini aren’t as crispy as you’d like them, reduce the oven temperature to 300°F (150°C) and let them bake longer. Check on them every 10 minutes.
To prepare the salmon, preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
Place the fish on the prepared baking sheet and season with salt and pepper. Rub the paprika into the salmon flesh. Bake until golden and firm to the touch, about 10–15 minutes per pound. Transfer the fish to a serving dish. Before serving, scatter the crunchies over the salmon. Sprinkle a little sea salt over the top. The dish may be served hot or at room temperature.
Make ahead tip: The crunchies can be made up to 4 days in advance and stored, uncovered, in a glass Pyrex dish or on baking sheets in a dry place. The salmon can be seasoned and stored in the fridge for up to 24 hours before cooking. After cooking, roasted salmon topped with crunchies can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days, but will be best on the day it is cooked.
How to reheat: Roasted salmon topped with squash and zucchini crunchies can be reheated, uncovered, in a 300°F (150°C) oven for 10 minutes. Or, serve at room temperature.
Kim Kushner’s Sexy Red Kale with Red Beets & Fresh Dill in Meyer Lemon Vinaigrette
Red kale and beet salad
I love the look of red kale and red beets. I know that salad isn’t supposed to be sexy — but the colors of this one make it so. I use whole endive leaves, peeled off gently one at a time to maintain their beautiful flower-petal appearance, and toss with the deep red kale, crimson red beets, bright green edamame, and forest green dill.
Makes 6–8 large servings
4–6 cups (300–450 g) red kale leaves, washed and roughly chopped
2 Belgian endives, leaves peeled off whole
1 red beet, peeled and thinly sliced
1 cup (180 g) frozen shelled edamame, thawed and rinsed
1 cup (60 g) roughly chopped fresh dill
Juice of 3 Meyer lemons
1/2 teaspoon whole mustard seeds
1/2 teaspoon crushed dried rose petals
1 tablespoon honey
1/4 cup (60 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
Splash of balsamic vinegar
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1. Combine the kale, endive leaves, beet, edamame, and dill in a large bowl or platter. Toss all together.
2. Pour the lemon juice into a glass jar, add the mustard seeds, dried rose petals (if using), honey, olive oil, vinegar, and salt and pepper to taste. Shake well. Spoon the vinaigrette over the salad just before serving.
This Rosh Hashanah, Celebrate With a Classic Persian Dish of Antiquity
Fesenjon
One of the greatest glories of Jewish cuisine is its diversity – a celebration of the Diaspora that touches upon the antiquity of our people, as well as the joys and sorrows and memories that are the apron strings we cling to as the New Year turns.
Kim Kushner’s Gingery Healing Broth With Mushrooms, Carrots, Leeks & Kale
Gingery healing broth
This is more than just an amazingly fragrant soup: it’s an all-in-one pot meal. Chicken, veggies, and noodles in a light, gingery-garlic golden broth really nourishes in more than one way. I know that traditionally chicken matzo ball soup is meant to be the go-to when you’re feeling under the weather, but I opt to go for this instead—the fresh ginger gives me the kick that I need to get back into shape.
Makes 6-8 Servings
1 tablespoon neutral oil (canola, avocado, or rice bran)
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
1 tablespoon grated fresh garlic
2 cups (460 g) thinly sliced mushrooms (you may use a variety, including portobello, oyster, white button, baby bella, shiitake)
4 leeks, trimmed and sliced crosswise into thin rounds, then rinsed and patted dry
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
8 cups (2 L) vegetable or chicken stock (if you don’t have stock handy, you may also use water)
⅓ cup ( 75 ml) soy sauce
2 cups (360 g) shredded cooked chicken (you may use leftover roast chicken or grilled chicken, white or dark meat or a combination)
2 carrots, peeled and julienned
Half of a 7-oz (220-g) package udon noodles
1 handful of Washed & Stored Kale (page 22), torn into small pieces
Drizzle of toasted sesame oil (optional)
Fresh red chile, stemmed and very thinly sliced (also optional— if you, like me, love the heat)
In a large pot, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the ginger, garlic, vegetable, and mushrooms. Use a wooden spoon to keep the ingredients moving in the hot oil. Sauté for 3 minutes, then add the leeks. Cover and cook until the leeks have softened, 4 minutes longer. Taste and season generously with salt and black pepper.
Add the stock and soy sauce and bring the mixture to a boil. Once the soup is rapidly boiling, reduce the heat level to medium and add the chicken, carrots, and udon. Cover and cook for about 10 minutes.
Remove the broth from the heat and stir in the kale. Season once more with salt and pepper. Before serving, I suggest drizzling each individual serving with a tiny (1/8 of a teaspoon) drizzle of sesame oil and topping with a few chile slices (if using).
Make-ahead tip: Gingery healing broth can be stored in the fridge for up to 1 week.
Gingery healing broth can be stored in the freezer for up to 1 month. Thaw in the fridge overnight or on the counter for a few hours and reheat on the stove.
