A Rosh Hashanah Middle Eastern Feast!

L'shanah tovah! There are many ways of celebrating, but all of them definitely involve food. In this case, I decided to embrace my Sephardic roots and cook a Middle Eastern feast with a special focus on Moroccan food. (My Mom is Moroccan and my grandmother cooked Moroccan food at many family meals growing up.) You'll find a veggie-heavy meal full of Middle eastern flavors, but served alongside some challah, Jewish apple apple cake, and chocolate honey cake to connect to a few Ashkenazi and traditional Rosh Hashanah dishes.

I served the meal across three courses - and the recipes included below are in italics. A few aren't listed since they are elsewhere on the site or were my husband's creations instead of mine.

We started with appetizers:

Roasted Eggplant with Garlic Confit (pictured above)

Matbucha

Hummus

Pita

(paired with some manchego, brie, and crackers)

We moved on to the main course:

Yemenite-Spiced Cauliflower with Schug Labneh

Roasted Citrus-Pomegranate Glazed Carrots

Egyptian Moussaka

Moroccan Lamb Shoulder

Couscous with Dates and Pistachios

Round Challah (challah is elsewhere on blog... just make it round instead of braided)

And we finally ended with dessert:

Tut (marzipan)

Chocolate Honey Cake

Jewish Apple Cake (elsewhere on blog)

We started prep the night before and I'll note below where I did that and then started cooking about five hours before dinner time. I'll note the time for each recipe below, but you won't find a total time for this meal since each piece may add up differently and not all recipes are in full detail below. Most importantly, though, it was absolutely delicious and everyone had a great time. Here is a to a good next year!

Pesto Portobellos with Veggie Fried Rice

I must admit, this started as a bit of a grab-bag meal to use up leftovers in my fridge, but it is definitely going to now make it into the regular rotation. I always love mushrooms, but in this case freshly made pesto elevates them even more, making them the star of the plate.

Meanwhile, veggie fried rice not only lets me make use of a hodgepodge of vegetables (and leftover basmati!) but appeals to even the pickiest of eaters. It comes together in minutes, too, making it a great choice for a weeknight. (And it doesn't hurt that it helps fight food waste... tell your kids they are heroes for avoiding more methane emissions!)

Time: 30 min

Tapas! Gambas al Ajillo and Patatas Bravas

Who doesn't enjoy a tapas night? Facing more weeks at home and getting bored of the same recipes, we decided to go for some tastes of Spain. It became a family affair, with the kids helping peel endless cloves of garlic, mix sauces, and, of course, sneak endless bites throughout the process. We played flamenco music in the background, which is surprisingly soothing, and it became a night to remember. I won't go so far as to say my extremely picky toddler tried most of this food (what child won't even try potatoes?!?) but he at least loved the process of making them and my young daughter (four at the time) couldn't get enough.

In fact, this meal was so popular that we repeated it a few weeks later for our first extended family meal in a year - which took place outside at separate tables, and we still wore masks other than eating - but it was special indeed. I'm a little behind so this all happened April 2021. We made three times the shrimp and potatoes listed below (which meant peeling 42 cloves of garlic...) and added in a mix of traditional Passover foods, including homemade matzah, and it hit the spot. Just ignore the part about shrimp at a Passover seder and it was incredible. So dig in and make your own!

You'll also see some crusty bread in the picture. I highly recommend making some to sop up the amazing sauces on the shrimp and potatoes. We obviously couldn't do that on Passover (yes, shrimp okay, bread not... don't ask too many questions) but it was incredible. I also tried my hand at gazpacho which only turned out 'eh' so I won't put that recipe here. Please send in your own if you have a good one, though!

Time: 45 min

Maple and Tahini Roasted Salmon and Carrots

It's been a while, but I'm back once again and so happy to continue to share some of my favorite recipes. Turns out, having little kids and working full-time with some travel means very little time for creative meals. Many of my weekly menus went from being exciting, creative, and risk-taking to really reflecting how to get a homemade, reasonably healthy meal on the table in 30 minutes or less. With two little ones at home, you may still see that as a common theme, but I'm also sneaking some creativity in there (both fast creativity and some that takes slightly longer) and will make sure to share the best recipes with you.

To kick things off after a year hiatus, here is an absolutely delicious meal that is ready in no time - and involves very little clean-up. It's full of rich, warming flavors as the tahini and maple syrup combine for a luscious but not overly sweet sauce that actually tastes quite a bit like a Thai peanut sauce (one of my favorites!) To really make this stand out, I can't recommend using Soom Tahini enough. I'm a tahini fan and have had my fair share over the years, but this one is creamy and rich and never separates or gets hard. Order it now! (And I recommend grabbing a chocolate one too for fun..! Makes a fantastic spread.) No, they aren't paying me for this, but they are indeed a great local company run by three fabulous sisters.

So jump on in and enjoy this recipe. It's good to be back!

Time: 40 min (but 30 min is roasting time when you are free to do whatever!)

Garlicky Cauliflower "Steaks" and Stir-Fried Mushrooms

Cauliflower? Good. Mushrooms? Good. A full meal of these delicious items complemented by tasty sauces that comes together in under half an hour on a weeknight? GOOD.

With summer in full swing, there is so much amazing produce around that I cannot resist vegetarian, or at least vegetable-forward, meals at all times. It might be a foreign concept to some, but when you move beyond the "vegetablesaregoodformemusteatthem" to really embracing the myriad tastes, textures, and flavors that they can produce, you'll find that  you hardly miss the protein. Worried about nutrition when doing so? Truth is, Americans eat FAR more protein than we really need. That whole "protein at every meal" is a fallacy... and also not dependent on meats. Enjoy nuts, quinoa, and more for other more environmentally and healthful ways of filling up!

Time: 25 min

Coconut-Crusted Tilapia with Caramelized Baby Carrots

It's amazing what happens when you rummage through your cupboard. In this case, I planned on making one of my common versions of tilapia - coated in some type of ground nut. A short person (height challenged?) I hopped onto the counter and rummaged through the top shelf where I keep nuts. Before I could find what I wanted, though, I came across a bag of shredded coconut and decided to use that instead. I couldn't be happier with that decision! This tropical-flavored creation comes out perfectly, with slightly caramelized coconut coating this light fish and just a dash of spice to cut through some of the sweetness. Needless to say, I have (purposely) made this dish several times since.

I paired this with some caramelized baby carrots, also detailed below, and some Mrs. T's Pierogies. They remain one of my all-time favorites, since childhood. The meal comes together quickly and provided me with something satisfying and healthy yet also a bit different. What more could you want?

Time: 30 min

Roasted Cauliflower Rice with Cranberries and Almonds

Who doesn't love roasted cauliflower? This vegetable is delicious in all cases, but when roasted the natural sweetness comes out, caramelizing and deepening into all its richness. Don't believe me? Just ask my nearly nine-month-old daughter - it's one of her favorites! And who can ask for a better endorsement than that?

In this case, the cauliflower is "riced" and combined with slivered almonds and dried cranberries for the perfect sweet and savory blend. This might be meant as a side, but you'll be going back for seconds and thirds, making this the star of the meal.

Time: 35 min (or 25 with pre-riced cauliflower)

Roasted Onions and Portabellas with Swiss Chard-Grain Pilaf

Oh, winter. Or, to be fair, late fall. Is it weird to anyone else that winter doesn't start until the end of December? To me, December will always be winter and March will always be spring but, alas, I guess I don't get to make that determination.

Still, with the cold weather, whatever season it may be, comes the craving for warm, filling, comfort food. However, comfort food and health have historically rarely gone together... but that simply doesn't have to stay that way. This vegan (yes! vegan comfort food!) meal hits all of the right notes - thick textures, hot food, sweet and savory notes - without any of the guilt. You can feel free to bring out the big (really, quite enormous by historical standards) dinner plates this time because there's no reason to skip seconds on this dinner. It's packed full of veggies and whole grains with little else, leaving you content and full yet happy with your decisions.

Time: 55 min

Seared Scallops with Cauliflower Rice and Sauteed Greens

I'm not usually a scallop fan, but my mother convinced me that these large sea scallops, on sale at Wegmans, were sweet, tender, and delicious and worth an extra trip to purchase immediately. She was right! I followed her instructions to the T (thanks, Mom!) and ended up with an absolutely delicious, incredibly healthy meal that came together extremely quickly but was still impressive enough for a fancy dinner party.

I did very little to the scallops, letting them shine on their own, and paired them with some cauliflower rice and sauteed greens. I purchased the cauliflower already riced to speed up the process but you can easily rice it yourself using a food processor if you can't find it already cut or want to save some extra cash!

Time: 25 min

Etruscan Salmon over Millet with Sauteed Spinach

I didn't know what Etruscan Salmon even was when I first came across this recipe, but I'm quite happy I found out. This recipe, making a delicate tomato broth sauce, and poaching the salmon in it, is fabulous. The salmon is richly infused with flavor and stays tender and moist. The sauce is delicious and will leave you soaking up every last morsel. If this is what Etruscans ate, no wonder Italy has such good food still today!

I served the salmon over millet, a whole grain native to Africa and Asia. It's a small grain rich in protein, fiber, and a number of vitamins and minerals. When cooked it leads to a creamy texture, almost like oatmeal or mashed potatoes. In this case it was a great vehicle with the Etruscan sauce, but other whole grains would work well as substitutes. Use brown rice, cous cous, or quinoa in it's place - or go find millet to branch out to a new varietal!

Time: 30 min

Tom-Tom Shrimp (or Tofu) with Garlicky Bok Choy

Stop whatever you're doing and make this right now. It comes together shockingly quickly, is healthy, and is absolutely delicious. I was a little hesitant at first since the Tom-Tom sauce advertises that it's spicy (I'm not a fan of spicy) but it's barely spicy at all. I suppose this is bad news for some, but if you're like me, it means you can take advantage of this incredibly flavorful meal without worries.

I served the shrimp over fonio, an ancient whole grain, but any other whole grain would work equally as well. Go with some simple brown rice (buy pre-cooked, like the boil in the bag kind, for fast prep) or get creative with cous cous, quinoa, amaranth, sorghum, or any other grain you have sitting in the cupboard. If you are feeling creative, though, the creaminess of fonio was very good in this recipe.

Time: 20 min

Roasted Delicata Squash

Not familiar with delicata squash? It's one of my favorite winter squashes - and it's incredibly easy to prepare! As you can see it's a smaller squash and it's a creamy yellow color with green stripes. Best of all, the skin is very tender and thin so you can just eat this entire thing with no need to peel like you would need to do with butternut or acorn squash. The flesh inside is yellow, a bit more delicate than it's heartier cousins, and quite sweet when roasted. What's not to love? In the past I've served it stuffed (you can see in the picture to the right that it makes convenient boat-shaped vessels when cut in half) but here I just roast it, letting the natural flavors shine.

I served this with some salmon topped with freshly cracked pepper (black and pink just for fun) and cous cous, but this versatile dish will go with nearly everything. Or - stuff it with a whole grain, dried fruit, and nuts and make it a stand-alone vegetarian meal.

Time: 35 min

Portobello Mushroom Pizzas and Brussels Sprouts with Tomato Pesto

I love mushrooms. I have for as long as I can remember and they remain one of my all-time favorites today. They tend to get a bad rep - they are a common food to dislike - and even among those who like the food I so often hear that they're "nutritionally void." This simply isn't true. While mushrooms do contain a lot of water, they also have other essential vitamins and nutrients. A single portobello cap, the mushroom featured in this recipe, has 3 g of fiber and 5 g of protein. It also has decent amounts of iron, potassium, and numerous other minerals and vitamins. To be fair, though, while they do in fact have health benefits, I think I'd eat them regardless. They are simply delicious! In this recipe mushrooms are the feature with the giant portobello standing in as a hearty base for a very healthy pizza. So dive right in and enjoy.

To pair with the mushroom pizzas I made brussels sprouts with tomato pesto and walnuts, but "made" is used loosely here. While in the past I would have shunned it, as regular readers know, I've had a few life changes recently! I actually purchased this pre-made kit from Wegmans which meant all I had to was open a cap, stir, and bake. Feeling guilty about not making the side from scratch? The good news is that while it might have a tad more salt than making your own pesto from scratch, it's still far better than anything you'll get in a restaurant or for take-out. You're still making dinner for less money and with more nutritious content than eating out. So give yourself a break and dig right in!

Don't have a Wegmans nearby? Have a little extra time? You can find Wegman's recipe, duplicating their efforts in the pre-made kit, right here.

Time: 25 min

Pesto Whole Wheat Gnocchi with King Oyster Mushroom-Kale Saute

Wow. It's hard to believe that this delicious, healthy meal truly comes together in just 20 minutes. And what's not to love about it? Gnocchi, one of the best foods on the planet. Fresh pesto. King Oyster mushrooms (I LOVE mushrooms). Superfood kale. This easy-to-prepare meal not only comes together faster than ordering take-out, but it's also full of nutrients and *may* even just satisfy the pickier eaters among us since gnocchi is really, really hard to turn down.


This meal does make use of some pre-existing ingredients, like you'll see among many of my other super-fast posts these days. It's true - vacuum packed gnocchi, even this whole wheat variety, has some flaws. Most brands have a decent amount of salt. It's definitely worth reading the labels and ensuring that you get the best of the options available. However, I see it this way... this is a 20 minute meal that is still, overall, quite healthy. It's certainly a lot healthier (and cheaper) than ordering take-out. Yes, you could make things from scratch (like I love to do and did often pre-baby) but most families won't have the time, or even the interest, in doing so. So give yourself a break and do your best. Putting out a vegetable-filled home-cooked meal for your family is a success in any form - and just moderate out the salt elsewhere (you'll see my pesto includes no added salt) to make sure you're staying in reasonable daily limits!

Time: 20 minutes

Egg-Topped Black Bean Burgers and Mediterranean Grains and Tomato Salad

Another night, another fast, delicious, healthy meal. What's not to love? This wholesome dinner includes protein (black bean burgers, eggs), whole grains (a blend of garbanzo, quinoa, and orzo), and tons of veggies. It also provides a little room for improvisation, which is always useful when trying to get dinner out quickly since it means you can make use of whatever is in your fridge.

Starting with this post, you'll also start finding notes, whenever relevant, on prep that can be done ahead. As my husband and I adjust to this whole "new parent" thing, we're also learning that anything that can be done the night before is amazing. We've developed a bit of a routine where one of us is doing bedtime and the other is cleaning up dishes from the current night and doing all the prep work for tomorrow's dinner. This is one of the ways we stay sane when weeknights involve getting home from work, getting dinner on the table, and actually getting to see our daughter before her bedtime!

Time: 30 minutes

Nut Tilapia with Red Quinoa-Tomato-Avocado Salad

Not only does this meal come together extremely quickly, it features some of my favorite foods (hello avocado and tomato!), packs in a ton of nutrients, and can even make use of leftover ingredients from past meals. If you're like me you frequently end up with handfuls of this or that which was purchased for a specific recipe. Finally, at some point, I always have to dive into my cabinets, pull everything out, and get creative out about how to use it up. This meal helps with just that - using up whatever leftover nuts you have sitting around.

Once again, I'll need to thank Wegman's for this meal since they contributed (most) of the recipe for the red quinoa-tomato-avocado salad. I tore it out of the annual magazine I get from them, excited to try it, and it has quickly become a staple in my house. While here you see it as part of a dinner meal, we'll also mix up a double batch and use it for lunches for the week. My husband loves it paired with some grilled chicken for a healthy meal at work.

Time: 25 min

Honey Mustard-Mushroom Salmon, Pan-Fried Potatoes, Tomato Salad

This fast meal epitomizes the new focus of my blog extremely well. It's focused on healthy fish (and salmon to boot with its fantastic omega-3s) and vegetables, comes together in 30 minutes, and uses minimal processed ingredients (hi honey mustard). In fact, if you change the salmon's topping, you could have none at all. This meal reminds you that you can indeed have healthy, delicious dinners for your family after spending a long day at work.

The trick? Make use of the ingredients I used to shun in my pre-children days such as cleaned potatoes that microwave in a bag (don't worry, we make them tastier than that) and pre-sliced mushrooms. The downside is that these ingredients are slightly more expensive so they're not an option for everyone, but hopefully if you balance all of these pieces out it means you can at least have home-cooked meals some days of the week! After all, despite having a cooking blog, I still just pull up eat24 on a regular basis (and that's one of the things I'll miss the most if I move out of the city!)

Keep in mind, for all of these meal times, it assumes that once one thing is cooking you get started on another piece. Don't wait until one part of your meal is completely done before moving forward! But I assume you knew that.... so without further ado, let's dive right in to the fun after the jump.

Time: 30 minutes

Lentil and Mushroom Veggie Burgers with Crispy Brussels Sprout Leaves

Delicious! As someone who hasn't cooked a lot of lentils, I wasn't entirely sure how this would turn out but I was eager to try. I love mushrooms and veggie burgers, after all. It took a little creative maneuvering to get the consistency right, but in the end these burgers turned out amazing. My husband and I eagerly gobbled them down as traditional burgers on a bun, open faced burgers, and also just the patty alone. They are flavorful and guilt-free.

As you'll see below, I chose to top mine with some freshly shredded smoked gouda, but feel free to get creative here. I also felt that these burgers were juicy enough as is, but you could easily whip up a nice mustard or garlic aioli to top these off. If you come up with a delicious combination, let us know in the comments!

Difficulty: easy
Time: 1 hr 10 min (mostly lentil cooking time)

Homemade Potato-Cheddar Perogies and Brussels Sprouts with Almonds and Raisins

Perogies! Who doesn't love them? My husband and I are both huge fans of them in general but we usually simply go the Mrs. T's route, boiling up some frozen ones. This time we decided to make them from scratch. It took a lot of work, and truth be told they didn't taste vastly different from our frozen ones, but the satisfaction and knowledge made it all worth it. Food tastes better homemade!

I also whipped up some delicious brussels sprouts paired with crunchy almonds and sweet raisins. By cutting the brussels sprouts in half you shorten the cooking time and get some crispy edges which are absolutely delicious. They'll be hard to resist!

Difficulty: medium-hard
Time: 1 hr 30 min

Indian Spice-Rubbed Salmon, Lemon and Garlic Spinach, Turnip Fries, Pomegranate Ketchup

Thick salmon, crispy fries, and sweet-tangy ketchup combine for a delicious meal that is full of surprises. The meaty salmon is heart-healthy and served over onions that provide a nice, contrasting texture and a slightly sweet addition (the natural sugars come out with cooking while the spice abates.) At the same time, the garlicky, citrus spinach pairs perfectly with the spice rub on the salmon. It's one of those meals that works out perfectly.

I also want to call out the turnip fries. While baked fries are always a massive improvement over fried, these ones really pack in the veggies. With no potato in sight the turnip provides a huge boost of vitamins with less starch than it would otherwise. Yet when it comes out of the oven, crispy and hot, you'll be shocked at how similar it tastes to its potato cousin! The pomegranate ketchup is definitely sweet, not a problem for someone like me who has a big sweet tooth, but if you prefer savory it may be too much for you. Still, it's so different it's worth trying!

Difficulty: medium
Time: 45 min