A Sweet and Good New Year, L’Shana Tova Metuka, לשנה טובה ומתוקה to all who are celebrating Rosh Hashana!
My Rosh Hashana Menu
Slow Cooked Brisket in Red Wine.
Steamed Green Beans
Sephardic Rice with Pomegranate Seeds and Simanim
Yemenite Hawaij Chicken Soup
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Every culture has nourishing and filling chicken soups. The Yemenite Hawaij Chicken Soup is warmly aromatic with hawaij, a Middle Eastern spice blend of cumin, turmeric, coriander, cardamom, ginger and pepper. The soup’s heart is this hawaij, a mixture that is delicious, and can be used in soups, stews or on top of chicken or veggies. This is a beautiful golden soup, with a complex, deep flavor, sweetened a bit with the addition of butternut squash. You can make the soup vegetarian with a vegetable stock and the addition of chickpeas to make the soup a complete meal. When Yemenite Jews, to escape antisemitism, were airlifted en masse to Israel during Operation Magic Carpet (1949–1950), they brought this soup with them. In the years since, it has become an integral part of Israeli cuisine, embraced well beyond the original community. Yemenite Hawaij Chicken Soup is perfect for the opening course on Rosh Hashana, beginning this Friday evening. It can be made ahead of time or frozen. A Sweet and Good New Year, L’Shana Tova Metuka to all who are celebrating.
Foodie Lit
Jordan Standridge has written a tightly focused mystery and thriller with enough turns and twists to keep the story exciting, adding a bit of ESP in the main character, Raina Stewart, a courageous bystander who saves a cop’s life. She herself turns out to have an excellent detective’s mind. The characters, major and minor, are drawn realistically. The police roles are well understood, showing a respect for law enforcement and understanding the dangers in the job. Channion Scott is a complex detective, supporting Raina’s physical and emotional recovery, as well as adding a romantic interest to the plot. The use of horses for healing and hope is a wonderful part of the novel’s path of redemption and healing after trauma.”
Yemenite Hawaij Chicken Soup
#Soup #Yemenite #Poultry #Hawaij
Serves 8-10
Hawaij
2 tablespoons cumin
1 tablespoon turmeric
1 tablespoon coriander
1 teaspoon cardamom
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt, optional
Soup
2 tablespoons olive oil
Vegetables
1 large onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 small butternut squash, peeled, deseeded and cubed
2 carrots, peeled and cut into 1/2” slices
2 stalks celery, sliced into 1/2” pieces
1 medium zucchini, cubed
1 15-ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
Spices
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 teaspoons turmeric
2-4 teaspoons hawaij
12 cups chicken stock
1-2 chicken breast, bone in
1 bunch fresh parsley, chopped
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Combine spices for Hawaij into a clean dry jar with a lid. Can store for several months. or purchase a commercially made mix from a Middle Eastern market.
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Add olive oil into a large pot. Turn heat to medium. Add onion and sauté until onions are soft. Add vegetables. Stir and cook for 5-8 minutes. Add more olive oil, if needed.
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Add spices. Stir to combine with vegetables. Add 2 pieces of chicken and brown a bit on each side.
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Add chicken stock. Bring to a boil and then lower heat to a simmer. Simmer for 45 minutes or until vegetables are tender.
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Remove chicken. Cool and shred. Add shredded chicken back into the soup.
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Taste and adjust seasoning.
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Sprinkle fresh parsley into each bowl of soup.
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Serve with pita or any good bread of your liking.
expandthetable suggestions
Meat: Substitute cubed beef or lamb for chicken. Sear the meat cubes. Follow the recipe.
Vegan: Omit meat. Add your choice of vegetables:, 6 ounces mushrooms, sliced, 1 turnip, cubed, 3 potatoes, chunked, 2 medium or 1 large leek, washed and coarsely cut or other vegetable of choice.
Allium free: Substitute a fennel bulb for the onion and radishes for the garlic.
