Shabbat Recipes

Matzah Ball Soup
*from the kitchen of Diane Fadem

INGREDIENTS:
1 whole chicken
4-6 whole carrots , peeled and sliced
1-2 parsnips, peeled and sliced
4-6 stalks of celery, chopped
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 box Matzah Ball Soup Mix for Passover, any brand
Amount of water indicated on the ball/soup mix
A bunch of fresh dill, optional

DIRECTIONS:
Put chicken (with skin on for extra flavor!), carrots, parsnips, celery, onion, seasoning from the box & dill in the pot of water. Simmer with the lid on for 2 hours. Remove chicken to a bowl or dish to cool so you can remove the meat from the bones. Remove dill & discard. If using dried dill, of course, it can remain in the soup. Once soup is cooled, put in refrigerator overnight or for several hours so the chicken fat rises to the top & you can skim it off before reheating & serving. Pull all the chicken off the bones & store separately until you are ready to reheat soup. An hour or so before serving, make the matzah balls according to directions on the box. You may put them in plain boiling water to cook or put them right into the reheated hot soup to cook. That way they absorb the flavor of the soup. If you make the balls ahead of time…do NOT store the balls with the soup because they will become water logged. Once everything is done, add the chicken to the soup until heated and serve. Enjoy!

Vegetable Tzimmes
*from the kitchen of Diane Fadem

INGREDIENTS:
2 pounds carrots, peeled & chunked
1 pound potatoes, any kind, peeled & chunked
2 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled & chunked
1 cup dried apricots, prunes, or both
¼ cup honey
1 tsp ground cinnamon
¼ tsp nutmeg
Pinch of brown sugar
1 TBSP orange juice
2 tsp grated lemon peel
1-2 TBSP butter or margarine, chopped

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 350. In a large saucepan, cook carrots, potatoes, & sweet potatoes in boiling water until the vegetables are barely tender, about 10 minutes. Drain. In a large bowl, mix apricots and/or prunes, honey, cinnamon, nutmeg, brown sugar, orange juice, lemon peel, & 1 cup of water. Add vegetables & toss. Pour mixture into a shallow 3-quart baking dish. If you are a big cinnamon fan, you can add a few cinnamon sticks into the vegetables at this point. Just remember to remove them before serving. Dot the top with butter pieces. Bake for 30-45 minutes, uncovered. Cover with foil if the top is browning too quickly. Enjoy!