Shabbat Standards with a Twist!

On a humid and somewhat threateningly cloudy Shabbat yesterday, a group of us spent a wonderful ‘Thanksgiving-like’ Shabbat afternoon on a private terrace on the Upper West Side.
Surrounded by hanging plants, a working fountain and exotic fish pond, we
enjoyed an incredible array of salads, roast chicken, roast brisket and
vegetable soufflés (kugel would be such an underestimation!) you couldn’t
imagine on a summer afternoon…

I, of course, the champion of fish, wine and fruit, came up with a few new ways to prepare the Shabbat ‘standards’ and a fruity way to enjoy the more hearty rice sides served chilled or room temperature. And our
one 4-year old guest suddenly found a way to clean his plate when he discovered
his favorite dried fruit ‘snacks’ and nuts in healthy Wild Rice.

“Baked Savory Gefilte Fish”

1 -2 loaves ‘homestyle’ frozen fish

1 large onion (Spanish, Yellow)

1 pint cherry tomatoes or 6 plum tomatoes, chopped

4-6 cloves garlic, sliced or chopped finely

A few pinches of dried basil (or a few fresh leaves finely sliced)

1-2 tbs olive oil

1-2 cups Baron Herzog Sauvignon Blanc or other dry white wine

Chop all vegetables and combine, toss together with olive oil and herbs

Lay vegetables in bottom of shallow baking pan and fill with wine to cover

Lay loaves of gefilte fish on top, cover with aluminum foil and bake in oven at 350 for approx 1 hour total –

-         After 30 minutes, uncover fish and baste with vegetables and liquid, re-cover for 30 minutes

-         Again, check after 1 hour – some of you may like browner or denser fish, in which case, cook another 15-20 minutes –

"Sweet Baked Salmon Gefilte Fish"

1 - 2 loaves Salmon Gefilte Fish

1 large chunk fresh ginger, peeled and sliced thinly

1 lemon, sliced thinly

1-2 tbs olive oil

1-2 tbs honey

1-2 cups Baron Herzog or Yarden Chardonnay (on the 'oakey' side)

In shallow baking pan, fill with wine, ginger, lemon slices, olive oil and honey and stir to blend

Lay in loaves of Salmon and baste with mixture

Cover with aluminum foil and bake at 350 for approx 1 hour -

 - after 30 minutes, uncover and baste with mixture, re-cover for 30 minutes

When done, place additional slices of lemon and ginger on top and serve -

Wild Rice with Dried Apricots and Pistachios

7 cups water

1 cup wild rice, rinsed first

1 tbs olive oil

1 red onion, chopped

1 red pepper, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 tsp ground cumin

½ cup dried apricots, chopped

½ cup orange juice

Salt and pepper to taste

½ cup scallions, thinly scliced

½ cup shelled pistachios, chopped

Bring water to a boil in a large saucepan. Add wild rice, cover, reduce heat to medium-low and cook at a lively simmer until the grains are tender and starting to split, 45 to 55 minutes. Drain.

Shortly before the wild rice is ready, heat oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add onion and cook, stirring until softened, 2 to 3 minutes. Add bell pepper, garlic and cumin; cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add
apricots, orange juice, salt and pepper; simmer until the apricots have plumped
and the liquid has reduced slightly, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in the wild rice.
Remove from the heat and stir in scallion greens. Serve topped with chopped pistachios.

 - Note: Cooking allows for some creative license and if your family prefers dried peaches or mangoes, substitute those! Chopped pecans also add a much different nutty and
sweet flavor to the mix…This recipe all comes down to the balance between the
sweet, the nutty and crispness from the scallions and spices….

And for another Salad alternative, for a dairy Seudat Shlishit or late Sunday afternoon lunch....

"Seafood Caesar Salad" - Dairy

1 pound halibut fillet cut in large slices or chunks- or another flaky white fish i.e. Cod, Red Snapper
2 teaspoons plus 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1tbs grated lemon zest
1 tsp teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tbs fresh lemon juice
4 anchovy fillets, sliced
1 tbs Dijon mustard
1 large head romaine lettuce, chopped (8 cups)
2 tbs freshly grated Parmesan cheese - or more per tastes

Instructions
In a medium bowl, toss fish with 2 teaspoons of the oil, half of the garlic, lemon zest, and pepper.

Lightly coat a grill or grill pan with cooking spray and heat to medium-high. Saute or grill fish until firm. Set aside.

In a large salad bowl, whisk together lemon juice, anchovies, mustard, cheese and remaining garlic. Slowly whisk in remaining 2 tablespoons oil. Add lettuce and toss well. Serve and top with cooked fish - or you may toss in the fish with the salad and serve - sprinkle with additional cheese and anchovies as desired....