Tzimmes

This is a sweet and sour dish that is classic in the Jewish tradition. There are as many variations on this as there are variations on tomato sauce or meat loaf.

1 1/2 pounds pitted prunes
3 cups boiling water
3 lb. boneless brisket, chuck or flanken
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoons pepper
1 tablespoon oil
1 cup chopped onion
1 teaspoon cinnamon
3 medium sweet potatoes, in 1 inch cubes
2 medium carrots
1/2 cup honey or 1/3 cup brown sugar

Preheat oven to 350° F.

Soak prunes in boiling water for 20 minutes.

Rub meat all over with salt and pepper. Brown in oil in Dutch oven or heavy sauce pan. Add onions and 2 cups of the water prunes soaked in. Bring water to a boil. When boiling, reduce heat to low and cook, covered, for 1 hour.

Add prunes, cinnamon, sweet potatoes, carrots, and sugar or honey. Replace cover and bake in a preheated 350° F oven for 1 1/2 hours. Remove the cover for the last 15 to 20 minutes. (You can also cook over low heat for 2 hours.)

Serves 6 - 8 (inmamaskitchen.com)


TANGY TZIMMES (Pareve)
21/2 - 3 lbs. yams, about 6
11/2 lbs. medium carrots, about 10-12
4 oz. branch of fresh ginger
20 oz. can pineapple chunks
1 cup orange juice
1 tsp. salt
Juice of 1 lime
1/2 cup maple syrup
12 oz box dried plums (pitted prunes)
6-quart pot
2 cups walnuts, chopped

Peel yams, carrots and ginger. Cut yams into 8 chunks, carrots into quarters and ginger into 1/4 inch slices.

Drain can of pineapples and reserve juice.

Place yams, carrots, ginger, pineapple juice, orange juice, salt, lime juice and maple syrup into the pot and cover. Simmer on a low flame for 45 minutes, stirring every few minutes.

Add pineapple chunks and dried plums. Simmer and stir for another 15 minutes, or until potatoes are soft in the center when a knife is inserted.
Before serving, place walnuts on a cookie sheet and bake in a 350 degree oven until lightly browned, about 2 minutes. Check nuts often, as they burn easily.

Turn tzimmes into an attractive bowl and sprinkle with walnuts.

Yield: 12 serving


TZIMMES TEABREAD (Pareve)
This recipe is ideal for leftover vegetarian tzimmes, such as the Tangy Tzimmes recipe above. Serve it with tea or coffee on sunny afternoons inside the Sukkah. Enjoy it plain or lightly toast and spread butter, jam, or cream cheese on top. On Shabbat, this surprising little bread is delicious for breakfast or with lunch.

2 disposable aluminum loaf pans (8 by 4 by 21/2 inches)
No-stick vegetable spray
2 cups flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 Tbsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
2/3 cup orange juice
2 eggs, lightly beaten
3 Tbsp. margarine, melted
2 cups tzimmes (already prepared)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat loaf pans with no-stick spray. Reserve.

Sift flour, sugar, baking powder and salt into large mixing bowl. Make a well in the center of sifted ingredients.

Pour orange juice, eggs and margarine into the well. Mix together until dry ingredients are just moistened.

Fold in tzimmes and mix until incorporated. Don't puree. Small chunks of carrots and sweet potatoes are visible.

Divide dough in half and fill prepared loaf pans. Bake 50 minutes, or until top forms a dome, edges brown lightly, and cake tester or toothpick inserted in the center returns clean.

Cool to room temperature on a rack. Loaves will fall slightly. Remove from pans. Slice and serve immediately. For deeper flavor, wrap unsliced loaves separately in foil and store in sealed plastic bags at room temperature to serve the following day. Breads freeze well.

Yield: 12-14 slices per loaf


LITE TZIMMES (Meat)
3 Tbsp. olive oil
3 lbs. leeks, about 4, greens discarded and white parts cut into 1/4 inch slices
3 skinless, boneless chicken breasts (6 halves) cut into 1 inch slices
salt and white pepper to taste
2 lbs. medium carrots, about 12-14, peeled
3 lbs. Yukon gold potatoes, about 6, peeled and cut into 6 chunks
5 cups chicken broth
1 cup white wine
1/2 cup flat leaf parsley, minced
1/2 cup dried cranberries
2/3 cup dried apricots, halved
2/3 cup pitted dates, halved
4 Tbsp. honey
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg

In a large pot, saute leeks in olive oil for 1 minute. Add chicken and saute until lightly browned.

Add remaining ingredients and gently mix. Simmer on a low flame stirring several times for 45 minutes, or until potatoes are soft when a knife is gently inserted in the center.

Serve immediately, or bring to room temperature, refrigerate up to 3 days, and reheat on low.

Recipe freezes well.
Yield: 10 servings


SAVORY TZIMMES (Meat)
11/2 lbs. medium sized carrots, about 10-12
2 medium sized onions
2 medium sized zucchinis
4 baking potatoes, peeled
3 lbs. cubed beef for stewing
Salt to taste
5 Tbsp. olive oil
Black pepper to taste
1 tsp. paprika
31/2 cups beef broth
1 cup red wine
1/2 cup dill, minced
1 cup golden raisins

Dice carrots, onions, zucchinis and potatoes. Reserve.

Sprinkle beef with salt. In a large pot, saute beef in 3 Tbsp. olive oil until lightly browned on all surfaces. Remove from pot and reserve.
Drizzle remaining olive oil in pot and place diced produce inside. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and paprika. Saute and stir until produce wilts. Return beef to pot and stir.

Mix in broth, wine and dill. Stirring every 15 minutes, simmer on a low flame for three hours, or until meat is tender when pierced with a knife. Add raisins and simmer another 15 minutes.
Serve immediately, or bring to room temperature, store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, and reheat on low. Recipe freezes well.
Yield: 10-12 servings

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