LAMB STEW WITH POMEGRANATE
(The Nosher – thenosher.com – sponsored by the Jewish National Fund)

It’s almost Rosh Hashanah, and we can think of no better main dish to serve than this luscious lamb stew with pomegranate molasses and fresh herbs. Serve it over couscous or fluffy rice. It’s also a fairly straightforward recipe that doesn’t require too many ingredients. Not sure where to find pomegranate molasses? Try your local Middle Eastern market, Whole Foods or even Amazon. This recipe comes to The Nosher from Chef Uri Arnon in Israel by way of Jewish National Fund. Arnon operates a Mediterranean and French-inspired restaurant called Arnold’s, located on Moshav Nativ Hashayara in northern Israel.

Ingredients:

3 lbs lamb stew meat, cut into
2-4 inch pieces
1 large onion, sliced
1-2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon freshly minced ginger or 2 teaspoons ground ginger
3 cinnamon sticks
2 1/2 – 3 cups water
3 tablespoons pomegranate molasses, plus extra
1 cup pomegranate seeds, divided
Fresh parsley, mint and/or cilantro for serving

Directions:

Heat a heavy casserole with a little oil over medium-high heat. Sear lamb pieces on each side until lightly golden. Add salt, pepper, ginger, cinnamon stick, pomegranate molasses and half the pomegranate seeds. Add 2 to 2 1/2 cups water, until meat is covered. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low-medium, cover and continue to cook over low heat for about 2 hours. Check on stew periodically, and add more water if needed. Lamb should be fork tender when it is done. Serve stew over couscous or rice. Drizzle top of stew with additional pomegranate molasses (around 1-2 Tbsp), the remaining pomegranate seeds and freshly chopped herbs such as parsley, mint and/or cilantro.

POMEGRANATE BRISKET WITH CRANBERRY SUCCOTASH
By Amy Kritzer via The Nosher (thenosher.com)

I have wanted to try to create a pomegranate brisket for some time as a nod to the Rosh Hoshanah tradition to eat fruit that has just recently come into season. The pomegranate is often used for this purpose! Served with pan juices and a crunchy, fresh succotash, this brisket is a new spin on an old favorite. Feel free to replace the dried cranberries with fresh pomegranate arils.

Ingredients:

4-pound brisket
Salt and pepper
2 tablespoons grapeseed oil
2 medium white onions, chopped into large pieces
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups pomegranate juice
1/2 cup dry red wine
1-2 cups chicken broth
2 springs rosemary
2 springs thyme
2 ears corn, shucked and removed from the cob
1 cup dried cranberries (or fresh pomegranate arils)
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons honey
2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
1/4 cup cilantro, minced
Salt to taste

Directions:

Preheat oven to 275 degrees F.
Season brisket on all sides with salt and pepper. In a large Dutch oven or oven-safe pot, heat the grapeseed oil over medium-high heat and brown the brisket on all sides, or about 5 minutes per side. Remove the brisket to rest, and add in onions and garlic. Sauté until browned, about 5 minutes. Add brisket back in over the vegetables fat side down and cover with pomegranate juice, red wine, and enough chicken broth so the brisket is covered about 3/4 of the way. Add in rosemary and thyme. Cover the brisket and braise in the pre-heated oven for 3- 3.5 hours or until fork-tender. Once cooked, remove brisket to rest and heat pan juices over medium-high heat until reduced by at least half and sauce is thickened. Strain and add salt and pepper if needed. In a bowl, combine corn and cranberries. In a separate bowl, whisk together extra virgin olive oil, honey, and red wine vinegar. Toss with corn mixture and add in cilantro and salt to taste. Once brisket has cooled, sliced against the grain and top with sauce and succotash. It is best reheated in a 200 degree F oven covered in its sauce to retain moisture.

Amy Kritzer is a food writer and recipe developer in Austin, TX who enjoys cooking, theme parties and cowboys. She challenges herself to put a spin on her grandmother’s traditional Jewish recipes and blogs about her endeavors at What Jew Wanna Eat. You can follow her on Twitter and Facebook and watch her cooking videos on Google+.

APPLE PIE KUGEL
By Ronnie Fein

(The Nosher via JTA) – Recently I thought about the fact that kugel, being a kind of pudding, could actually make a nice dessert. Like bread pudding but made with noodles. So with apples-and-honey season in mind, I decided to go all in. This is it – apple streusel pie kugel, lush with roasted fruit, orange-plumped raisins, cheese and a topping of oat-based streusel. We ate it with vanilla ice cream once and another time topped with lightly sweetened heavy cream that had been whipped but still pourable. Don’t even think about the calories. Just enjoy.

Ingredients:
1 cup raisins
1/4 cup orange or apple juice
2 tablespoons honey
3 medium tart apples, peeled and cut into bite-size pieces
6 tablespoons sugar
1 12-ounce package egg noodles
1 8-ounce package cream cheese
1/4 pound unsalted butter
2 cups dairy sour cream
6 large eggs
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup uncooked rolled oats
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400 F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Lightly oil a 9-by-13-inch baking pan. Place the raisins in a bowl. Heat the orange juice and honey in a small saucepan until the honey has melted. Stir to blend the liquids completely and pour over the raisins. Let soak for at least 30 minutes. Place the apples on the baking sheet. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons of the sugar and toss to coat all the pieces. Roast for about 15 minutes, tossing the pieces once or twice, or until they are tender. Remove from the oven and set aside. Turn the oven heat to 350 F. Cook and drain the noodles and put them in a large bowl. In an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese and butter until thoroughly blended and softened. Beat in the remaining sugar until well blended. Add the sour cream and blend thoroughly. Add the eggs one at a time, beating after each addition. Stir in the apples, raisins (including liquid) and cinnamon. Pour the mixture into the noodles and mix to coat them completely. Spoon the mixture into the prepared baking pan. In a bowl, mix the oats, flour, brown sugar and salt. Add the butter and work it into the flour mixture until it resembles coarse crumbs. Sprinkle the oat mixture over the noodle mixture. Bake for 45-50 minutes or until lightly browned and crispy on top.

Ronnie Fein is a freelance food and lifestyle writer. She is the author of four cookbooks and was a contributing editor to The New Cook’s Catalogue, the 25th anniversary edition of the James Beard original.

The Nosher food blog offers a dazzling array of new and classic Jewish recipes and food news, from Europe to Yemen, from challah to shakshuka and beyond. Check it out at www.TheNosher.com.