Yom Kippur, the holy day of atonement, is the holiday culminating at the end of Rosh Hashanah the Jewish New Year. The end of the day of fasting is celebrated with an elaborate feast. Here is a Yom Kippur Dinner Menu featuring my favorite family recipes.  Yom Kippur celebrated in the autumn, is for some a deeply religious time of the year.  For others, it is a time for families and friends to come together at a less compliant dinner to honor their ancestors.  There are countless cultures each representing their own unique culinary delicacies. This menu is a combination of traditional, but non-Kosher, ceremonial selections with European and Southern influences.

Red Wine

Tarragon-Matzo Ball Soup with Diced Poached Chicken, Carrots, Onions and Celery

First-Cut Brisket with Baked Prunes

Garden Baby Peas and Potato Pancakes

Savory Kugel Pudding

Roasted Garlic-Onion-Shallot Paste, Golden Raisins, Parmesan

Homemade Baked Cinnamon Applesauce

Dark Chocolate Mousse with Chantilly Crème l’Orange

Reva Paul’s Hand Decorated Gold Leaf White Chocolates  and Leaf Sugar Cubes

Ellen’s Organic Green Mint Chai Tea

Tarragon- Matzo Ball Soup

An interpretation of a Manischewtiz recipe.

Ingredients For Soup

• 4-quart pot, 6 cups (1-1/2 quarts) cold water
• ½ cup chopped celery
• ½ cup sliced carrots, one small to medium sliced onion
• 5 or 6 chicken tenders or one skinless chicken breast
• 1 teaspoon Reva Paul’s seasoning mix
• Tablespoon of curly Parsley, finely chopped

Directions

1. Place all ingredients into the pot.
2. On a medium flame, bring to a boil.
3.  Lower the heat to simmer for 30 minutes.
4. When the chicken turns white, remove from the pot, dice or shred into small bite size pieces and place back into the pot.
5. Keep on a low heat.

Ingredients For Matzo Balls

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 large eggs, slightly beaten
• 1/2 cup Manischewitz® Matzo Meal,
• 2 tablespoons Manischewitz® broth, soup broth from above or water
• 2 tablespoons curly Parsley, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon of Reva Paul’s seasoning mix.

REVA PAUL’s seasoning mix

• 2-½ Tablespoons onion powder
• 2-½ Tablespoons garlic powder,
• 1-teaspoon salt
• 1-teaspoon pepper

Place all ingredients in a small bowl and mix together. Store in a container, preferably with a dual shaker / open, easy to spoon out top. Store in a cool, dry place until ready to use.

Matzo Ball Preparation

1.  In a small, bowl beat eggs
2. Add oil, Manischewitz® Matzo Meal, Reva Paul’s seasoning mix and chopped parsley.
3. Gently blend together.
4. Add broth or water and mix until uniform.
5. Cover and chill in refrigerator for about 20 minutes.
6. Remove chilled matzo ball mixture from refrigerator.
7. Moisten hands with olive oil.
8. On wax paper form batter into matzo balls, approximately 1 inch in diameter.
9. Reheat soup mixture until boiling.
10. Drop matzo balls into pot of boiling soup. Cover tightly.
11. Once again, reduce heat and simmer until thoroughly cooked, about 30-40 minutes. Serve while warm.

Serves 6

 Reva Paul’s Savory Kugel Pudding

Ingredients

• 2 cloves of garlic-minced,1 small onion-minced, 1 small shallot-minced,
• 1 package (12 oz.) of extra wide egg noodles (or no yoke noodles),
• 1 tablespoon of unsalted-sweet butter,1-cup large curd, 2% milk cottage cheese,
• ¼ cup Ricotta Cheese, 1-cup sour cream (or nonfat plain Greek Yogurt)
• 2 Tablespoons Lea and Perrins sauce, 1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon of salt
• 2 Tablespoons grated Romano- Parmesan Cheese

Directions

1. In a food processor mince the onion, garlic and shallot together. Set aside.
2. In a large pan filled with water boil the noodles until soft. Drain.
3. Add half of the minced onion, garlic and shallot mixture and all other ingredients, except the grated cheese.
4. Blend all until well mixed together.  Taste. If needed add in the other half of the onion, garlic and shallot mixture. The texture should be creamy but not wet.
5. Place all in a casserole dish.
6. Sprinkle the grated cheese on top.
7. Bake in a preheated 350-degree oven until hot.
8. Remove and serve.

Serves 6

This may be made a day in advance and baked the next day. Individual servings may be baked in ramekins. Seasonings may be adjusted up or down for personal taste.

 Baked Cinnamon Apple Sauce

Ingredients

• 3 or 4 Macintosh Apples-peeled and cored
• 1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon,
• 1/8 (pinch) of nutmeg
• 2 Tablespoons of Pure Vanilla Extract
• 1 large or 2 small lemons – juiced
• 1 Tablespoon of Honey
• 1 plastic bag, with closure
• Optional additions: 1/4 cup roasted natural raw walnuts- shelled,1/4 cup golden raisins

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Place whole or half natural raw walnuts on a cookie sheet and roast for 5 minutes until lightly toasted.
3. Remove the nuts from the oven and allow to cool.
4. Place the nuts on a sheet of waxed paper.
5. Using a mallet or the side of a canned good, roll over walnuts crushing into small pieces. Set aside.
6. Slice peeled and cored apples into quarters.
7. In a bowl mix together the cinnamon, nutmeg, pure Vanilla extract, lemon juice and honey.
8. Place apple slices into a plastic bag.  Add the mixture into the plastic bag thoroughly coating the apples.
9. To enhance the flavor, you may marinate for several hours in the refrigerator, or you may proceed “as is”.
10. Place the coated apple slices in a baking pan or cookie sheet.
11. Bake for approximately 30 to 40 minutes, until tender. The tip of a knife should easily pierce the apple slice.
12. Remove the apple slices from the oven and place in a bowl.
13. Using a potato masher or pronged fork, gently mash the apple slices to desired texture of either a chunky or smooth sauce.
14. {Add optional ingredients if desired}

Yield approx. 2 cups

Potato Pancakes

Ingredients

• 4 Large Baking Potatoes-peeled, 1 Sweet Onion- skin removed,
• 1 Large Egg- beaten, 1 -teaspoon Reva Paul’s Seasoning Mix or
• 1 teaspoon Salt and ½ teaspoon ground black pepper, 2 to 4 Tablespoons of All Purpose Flour, ¼ Cup Parsley- finely diced, Optional: ¼ Cup Chives- finely diced,
• 2 Cups of Olive Oil or Vegetable Oil for frying

Preparation

1. Pre heat oven to 200-degrees Fahrenheit.
2. In a large bowl lined with paper towel or a large strainer finely grate the potatoes and onions, draining off the excess liquid.
3.  Remove from the paper towel or strainer and place into a mixing bowl.
4. Add in the egg, seasoning, 2 tablespoons of flour, parsley and chives.
5.  Mix together into a thick paste. Add in additional flour if needed.
6. Coat your hands in oil to avoid the potato mixture from sticking to your fingers.
7. On wax paper, use ¼ cup of the mixture to form ½ inch thick pancakes or to the size of your choice.
8. In a large skillet, place ¼ inch of the cooking oil. Heat over a medium to high flame.
9. Place as many of the potato pancakes into the hot oil that your skillet allows.
10. Fry, turning over one time only and cook until golden brown.
11. Remove from the skillet and place on a paper towel to drain off the excess oil.
12. Place cooked potato pancakes in a pie or glass dish in a low oven to keep warm while cooking the remaining batter.
13. Repeat frying additional potato pancakes until all are cooked.

Accompaniments:  Baked Applesauce, Nonfat Plain Greek Yogurt, Sour Cream.

Serves: 6

First Center Cut Brisket

Ingredients

• 5-pound, first center cut Brisket
• Juice of one lemon
• Ground cinnamon
• Reva’s seasoning mix
• Tomato paste
• Ketchup
• Heinz Chili Sauce
• Minced onion, garlic and shallot paste
• Light Brown Granulated or Dark Brown Sugar
• Optional Herb: Rosemary, Thyme, Sage

Preparation

1. Place in order on top of the brisket:
2. Aqueezed Lemon Juice; sprinkle
3. Ground Cinnamon
4. Reva’s seasoning mix of ground garlic powder, ground onion powder, salt and pepper
5. Layer with paste of minced onion, garlic and shallot spread across meat
6. Layer with a small can of tomato paste, ketchup and Heinz chili sauce. A few sliced onions and pitted prunes.
7. Place sliced or baby carrots and prunes on the sides of the pan. Sprinkled with Domino Light Brown Granulated sugar or dark brown sugar.
8. Place a small amount of water in the bottom of the pan, cover with aluminum foil and bake in the oven at 325 degrees Fahrenheit for one hour.
9. Remove foil and continue cooking for four more hours until tender.
10. Remove from oven and allow the brisket to rest for thirty minutes to one hour before slicing, Slice against the grain.
11. Save the extra juices and fixings from the pan in a jar to reheat.
12. Place the sliced brisket and the natural juices/ fixings in a glass pan or roasting pan, cover with aluminum foil poked with a fork to allow ventilation, in a slow 250-degrees F oven until hot.

Best if made the day before.

Reva Paul’s Dark Chocolate Mousse

Ingredients

• 16 ounces bittersweet chocolate-finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter,
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 6 large eggs- separated
• 1 teaspoon Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla Extract*
• 1 tablespoon of chocolate liqueur or coffee/espresso (Optional)

Preparation

1. Using a double boiler, or a heatproof bowl over a pot of simmering water (do not to let the bottom of the bowl touch the water) over medium-high heat, add the chopped chocolate, butter, and sugar.
2. Note: To avoid the chocolate from seizing and turning into a stiff, thick mass, do not stir the mixture.  It should take about 10 minutes for the chocolate to melt.
3. When the chocolate has melted, remove the bowl from the pot of hot water.
4. Add the egg yolks, vanilla extract, and optional chocolate liqueur or coffee/espresso to the chocolate mixture and stir together until well blended.
5. The texture of the mixture will be dense and paste-like.  Set aside.
6. In a separate medium-sized bowl, add the egg whites and whip on high speed with an electric mixer until stiff, soft peaks form.
7. Using a rubber spatula gently fold 1/3 of the egg whites into the chocolate mixture until completely blended.
8. Carefully add the remaining egg whites by gently folding them into the chocolate mixture.  Be certain to blend all of the egg whites into the chocolate mixture until a pudding consistency.
9. Pour the chocolate mixture into the serving bowl of your choice.  Cover tightly with plastic wrap.
10. Refrigerate for 12 hours until firm and chilled. (This recipe is even better when prepared a day in advance.)
11. One hour before serving prepare whipped crème (see recipes below).
12. Place on top of chocolate mixture.  Using a carrot scraper, add shaved chocolate to decorate the top. Serves 6.

Whipped Crème

• 1-cup heavy whipping cream,1 tablespoon granulated sugar,
• 1 teaspoon Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla Extract (or substitute with pure vanilla extract)

In a chilled, medium-sized bowl, beat whipping cream, sugar and vanilla with an electric mixer on high speed until stiff peaks form.

Additions to this recipe may include flavored extracts or liquors, cocoa or any other flavors to taste such as: 1 teaspoon orange extract, 1 teaspoon grated orange zest,1/2-teaspoon ground cinnamon.