Rosh Hashanah, easier to celebrate
On Rosh Hashanah we celebrate the Jewish New Year with prayer, song and sweets. But there's nothing sweet about rushing home from work to prepare a festive feast and attend religious services, all before sundown on Monday, when the holiday officially begins.
This year, go easy on yourself by preparing your Rosh Hashanah dinner on Sunday. After services Monday, with this plan-ahead menu you can just throw everything into the oven, and 30 minutes later have dinner on the table.
Rosh Hashanah is a time of celebration, marking the beginning of the High Holy Days of the Jewish calendar. Jews celebrate with plenty of wine and sweets, traditionally including apples and honey.
This menu features many traditional Jewish foods, in recipes that are easy to prepare ahead. Slow-braised chicken over noodles is a dish that spans cultures. This wine-braised chicken is inspired by the classic (and time-consuming) coq au vin, but instead of cooking all day, the chicken is done in less than an hour.
You can serve apples and honey with dinner, as is the custom, to herald a sweet year, or just wait for apple honey cake for dessert. This upside-down apple cake is incredibly easy to prepare but looks and tastes impressively complex.
After the plates have been cleared and the prayers sung, the shofar (ram's horn) has been blown and the time of reflection begun, you'll be thankful for this easy holiday dinner in celebration of the start of another wonderful year.
Shana tova! (Happy New Year!)
Wine-Braised Chicken
Makes 8 servings 12 bone-in chicken thighs Salt and pepper to taste 6 tablespoons vegetable oil 1 750 ml bottle full-bodied red wine 3 medium carrots, roughly chopped 2 medium onions, roughly chopped 4 stalks celery, roughly chopped 4 cloves garlic, smashed 3 cups chicken stock 3 sprigs fresh thyme 1 bunch parsley stems, plus 4 tablespoons finely chopped parsley