Tag: Shabbat

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Thanksgiving and Pie

We were invited for a thanksgiving shabbat this week by American born friends in our neighbourhood. I asked what I could bring and was offered sides or dessert. I chose dessert!

Pie!! I mean who doesn’t love pie?

While apple pie is traditional, our hostess is allergic to apples, so I made two pies. One apple pie and one pear pie. Win win right?

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Apple (or pear) pie
Prep Time
1 hr
Cook Time
30 mins
Total Time
1 hr 30 mins
 

A traditional and simple apple pie recipe.

Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Servings: 8
Author: Gina
Ingredients
  • 1 packet frozen pastry dough
Filling
  • 8 apples (or pears), granny smith apples preferable
  • splash lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup coconut sugar
  • pinch salt
  • 2 tablespoons flour
  • 1 egg for brushing the pastry
Instructions

  1. Peel and slice the apples (or pears) into small chunks.

  2. Place apples, lemon juice, sugars, cinnamon, salt and flour in a bowl and toss with your hands until all the fruit is covered.

  3. Cover bowl of fruit with plastic wrap and set aside for an hour or more.

  4. Take your frozen pastry dough out and let it defrost until it is manageable but still cool, I left mine in the fridge for 1 hour and it was ready when the fruit was ready.

  5. When you are ready to assemble the pie, turn your oven on to 180C.

  6. Once fruit is ready, take your dough and roll out a piece big enough to cover the bottom and sides of your pie dish.

  7. Place the pastry inside the dish and push the sides up a bit so they stick to the dish.

  8. Take your fruit and layer it into the pie dish, making sure the entire bottom is covered. Keep layering the fruit until in reaches the top of the dough up the sides of the dish.

  9. There will be some liquid left in the bowl, pour no more than 3/4 of a cup of this liquid over the top of the fruit before covering the pie with more dough.

  10. Roll out more dough and either place a full round piece on top of the pie or cut into strips and create a lattice top. You can also roll out the dough and cut shapes with cookie cutters, then create a patter with the shapes.

  11. If you place a full piece on top, cut a few slits into the dough to allow steam to escape.

  12. Brush the pastry dough with a bit of beaten egg.

  13. Once the pie is ready, place in the oven at 180C for about 30 minutes.

  14. Keep an eye on the pie and if you see the edges starting to burn you can cover them with a bit of foil molded to fit the pie dish.

  15. The pie is ready when the pastry is brown and the fruit is bubbling around the edges of the pastry.

  16. Allow to cool down before slicing. Serve with whipped cream or ice cream.

Recipe Notes

Recipe adapted from Inspired Taste

 

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Our first proper family Shabbat!

Last night was the first time we have had a shabbat dinner in MY home with my mom, my brother and I around the table.

Even though Paul and I have had our own home together for the last 10 years, its only been in the last 2 years or so that we have been kosher. My brother Matt came to Israel about 10 years ago and is strictly kosher so when he did come to South Africa we always had shabbat dinner at my moms house.

Last night, our family of four was joined by my brother, his wife, his mother in law and my nephew, my mom who is here visiting and my sister from another mister and her other half.  11 people around my table. Naches. It just doesnt get any better than last night!

shabbat candles
How beautiful are our Shabbat candles? One set for each family last night.

My mom and I spent the afternoon cooking a feast and I think we really outdid ourselves.

Our menu:

  • Challah
  • Slow pot roasted beef with onions and potatoes (recipe below)
  • Teriyaki chicken wings and legs with chopped cashews
  • Rice
  • Chickpea and red onion salad
  • Roro brought her famous Quinoa salad (click the link and scroll down for the recipe)
  • Peppermint crisp tart
  • Chocolate mousse
  • Diabetic friendly apple crumble
  • Diabetic friendly choc vanilla ice cream

Supper was amazing. We ate so much I had to literally sleep on my back last night 🙂

The best part though was having my entire family around me. Those I was born to and those I chose. Thats what makes shabbat special.

Slow Pot Roasted Beef
Serves 10
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Prep Time
30 min
Cook Time
4 hr
Total Time
4 hr 30 min
Prep Time
30 min
Cook Time
4 hr
Total Time
4 hr 30 min
Ingredients
  1. 1.2kg chuck roast (or any meat that can be slow roasted)
  2. Brown onion soup powder
  3. 1 onion, thinly sliced
  4. 5 large potatoes, peeled and cut into quarters or eighths
  5. salt
  6. pepper
Instructions
  1. Heat your oven to 200C
  2. Dissolve two tablespoons soup powder in a litre of boiling water and set aside
  3. Place your sliced onions in the bottom of a large roasting dish (preferably one with a lid, you can cover the dish with foil though)
  4. Place your meat on top of the onions, fat side up
  5. Liberally sprinkle the salt and pepper over the fat of the meat
  6. Place the potatoes around the meat
  7. Put the dish in the oven, uncovered at 200C for 20 minutes
  8. Remove the dish from the oven and pour the stock mix over the meat and potatoes, cover the dish with the lid or with foil
  9. Turn down the oven to 140C and place the dish back for 2 hours 30 minutes
  10. Uncover the dish and cook for a further 30 minutes to an hour (until the fat has gone brown and crispy) at 180C
  11. Remove meat from dish and allow to sit for 20 minutes, then slice and return to the dish to serve
Notes
  1. In my opinion the fat makes this dish. A piece of meat with a nice thick slab of fat on top is ideal. Not healthy but ideal. For a healthier version get a piece without too much fat on top.
A Bit of This A Bit of That https://gnatj.com/