Tag: figs

Honey Fig Roasted Salmon

Excuse me while I type while my mouth is full. [gulp]

I don’t usually eat the recipe I’m posting while I’m posting it, but I seriously can’t get enough of this salmon. Who knew figs and salmon would go so well together, right?

The truth is, I would eat figs over cardboard. They’re that good. And with Rosh Hashanah coming, I couldn’t think of a sweeter fruit to incorporate into my holiday meal. Fig season is short, and I want to make the most of it before it’s gone!

It’s hard to believe that summer is really coming to an end, and the High Holidays are almost upon us. I see it in the seasonal fruit that’s making it’s way into the stores (yay for honeycrisp apples!), I feel it while I shop around for school supplies, uniforms and Yom Tov clothes. And I even smell it in the air as the summer days turn to cool nights, and the scent of fall creeps in. It’s sad to see summer go, but the New Year brings with it a fresh start and new possibilities.

I feel about the The High Holidays, the same way I feel about the first day of school. It gives me butterflies. And even though I’m way past the school-era (thank G-d!!), I still get those butterflies when I take my kids to orientation on the first day. I never realized the benefits of marrying someone whose last name begins with an “A”, until my kids started school. Thankfully, I don’t have to sit there for hours until their name is called!

I may not be in school anymore, but the truth is, my name is still called, each year, on high. As we read in the prayer of “Unesanneh Tokef“, “All created beings pass before you, one-by-one, like a flock of sheep…You count, reckon, and are mindful of them, and you allocate the fixed portion for the needs of all your creatures”.

May we all be blessed, that as our names gets called by the ultimate principal, may we be inscribed for a SWEET (and figgy) New Year filled with healthy, happiness, peace and of course, good food!

I’d like to think that this holiday isn’t just about the food, but the truth is, it is so much a part of it. We celebrate Rosh Hashanah through an assortment of symbolic foods, including the head of a fish and sweet, sticky honey. This recipe uses a whole side of salmon, but you can feel free to cook the fish head along with it, for a beautiful presentation. I love how festive and elegant this is, not to mention sweet! It is sure to be a show stopper on your holiday table.

Related Recipes:

teriyaki salmon
honey mustard salmon
honey roasted figs
holiday salad with figs and honey

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Halva & Ricotta Stuffed Figs

Recently, I was lucky enough to attend a fabulous kosher foodie potluck, arranged by the talented Kim Kushner, author of The Modern Menu. It was such an honor to meet Kim and taste her delicious food! She blogged about our amazing evening under the stars here.

Kim set up the most beautiful tablescape on a rooftop in Midtown Manhattan (which also happens to be her husband’s office). With the help of Marzan Flowers, and other generous sponsors, the table was set with a rustic vibe and the most amazing swag! We were surrounded by the New York City skyline, the most incredible kosher food, and the who’s who of the kosher blogging world.

Since it was a potluck, each guest was required to bring a kosher dish (or two), all of which were laid out on a round buffet table. I made my malawach cheese pastries with tomato & schug dipping sauce, plus some incredible goat cheese popovers! Some of the other dishes included nachos by The Patchke Princess, creamy hummus, salmon, roasted veggie salad and pavlova by Kim Kushner Cuisine, fava beans by BeautyandsomeBeef, panzanella salad with cashew bread and s’mores caramels by KitchenTested.

We also had some famous kosher Instagrammers like @cookinginheels, @chefchaya and @theghettogourmet who brought drunken fish tacos with pickled onions, cronuts with nutella pastry cream and Asian quinoa lettuce wraps, respectively.

What has all that got to do with these AMAZING, droolworthy stuffed figs?! Well, BeautyandsomeBeef made the simple ricotta stuffed figs that inspired these halva-drenched ones! Check out these pics for a peek!

I’d heard of ricotta stuffed figs with honey before but I’d never tasted them until the potluck. I couldn’t believe how such a simple dish could taste so fantastic! Of course I couldn’t stop thinking about how I could make them even better…and then THESE happened.

And by these I mean the insanely decadent jewels of perfection you see here. Fresh seasonal figs stuffed with ricotta, dipped in silan and sesame, dripping with sweetened tahini sauce and finished with halva crumbs. Shall I get you a napkin?!

If you’ve never heard of silan before – hop on the silan train because it’ll take you to syrup heaven! Silan is a honey syrup made from dates. It’s got an intoxicatingly rich flavor that is so much better than whatever else you’ve been using! When mixed into tahini paste, it creates the most decadent halva sauce that you’ll want to eat by the spoonful! It’s interesting to note that when the Torah speaks of honey it is actually referring to date honey. Israel, the land of halva and “Milk & (Date) Honey” is what inspired this Middle-Eastern twist on a classic recipe!

Do yourself a favor and grab some fresh figs, before the season is over! 

 

Related Recipes:

breakfast quinoa with silan roasted figs
grilled cheese with figs and honey
holiday fig salad

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Breakfast Quinoa with Silan Roasted Figs

Unlike other fruits and veggies, figs have a relatively short season. They are usually available in late summer and early fall, but can also occasionally be found in short supply in early summer. They also have a short shelf life, which is probably why you won’t find them imported throughout the year. Since fresh figs are so hard to come by, I am sure to pick up a carton whenever I see them.

Figs and honey are a natural pairing, but figs and silan are like a match made in heaven. Silan is a thick syrup made from dates that’s like a cross between honey and molasses, with a taste similar to roasted sweet potato syrup (the sticky stuff that oozes out of the sweet potatoes when you roast them for a long time). Roasting the figs with silan just takes the whole fig experience to new heights, you’ll never want to eat them any other way!

What’s even better than silan roasted figs? Silan roasted figs over milky quinoa porridge! If you’ve never prepared quinoa as a breakfast cereal, you must give it a try. It’s just like oatmeal or porridge, except it’s got a bite to it. If you’re a fan of quinoa, try preparing it with milk instead of water, and adding sweet additions like apple-cinnamon, maple-brown-sugar, or this fabulous topping of fresh figs & silan. You’ll be making quinoa for breakfast a lot more often!


1 year ago: carrot muffins
2 years ago: berry sorbet with fresh pomegranates and blueberries

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Dried Fruit Chutney

Today marks the 15th of the Hebrew month of Shvat, Tu B’shvat, which is the New Year for the trees. Traditionally, this day is celebrated by eating fruit, especially those that are known as the Seven Species (seven types of fruits and grains enumerated in the Bible as being special products of the Land of Israel). They include: Wheat, Barley, Grapes, Figs, Pomegranates, Olives and Dates. The following is a delicious recipe for mustard roasted fruits from The Low GI Diet Cookbook (a diet which I fully endorse, but that’s for another day!). If you add in some dates, and spread it atop some whole grain bread (made from wheat and barley), you’ll have covered 4 of the seven species with just the appetizer!

I absolutely love the sweetness and chewiness of dried fruits. Oven roasting them brings out their flavor, and adds a delicious carmelization that is excellent when paired with smoked meats or cheeses.


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