Brisket

I'm not sure whether Brisket is something every Jewish person grows up eating, and enjoys... I however do, even though I am not a fan of stews. As the smell (salivating as it was) filled the room, I was thinking that I love prunes in mine! Turns out that is Tsimmes, and I may have to try making that too some time. I guess I am a sucker for good old fashioned, traditional Jewish food. Even though the recipe is for the oven, we made this brisket in a slow cooker which we left over night. Thoroughly delicious, enough to want to lick your plate : )

Ingredients:
1kg beef brisket
1 cup tomato sauce
1 packet onion soup (or chicken stock)
400ml ginger ale
3 large carrots cut into long pieces
1 onion, sliced
3-4 sweet potatoes
3-4 potatoes (optional)

Method:
Preheat the oven to 180ºC
Place the brisket in a roasting pan, fat side down
Stir together the tomato sauce, soup and ginger ale and pour over the brisket
Place the vegetables around the edge and cover with a lid or tinfoil
Bake for 2 1/2 hours covered and another 45mins to an hour uncovered

Mock Chopped Herring

I love a good helping of chopped herring (and when it's eaten on Kigel it's even better) but it's not always the easiest thing to get a hold of. When I tasted this and was told it was mock chopped herring I had to have the recipe. Thoroughly delicious with crackers too and very easy to make. I substituted the Matza meal with breadcrumbs.

Ingredients:

400g drained tuna
3-4 peeled green apples
1 medium onion
4 hard boiled eggs (2 go into the mixture, 2 for decoration)
1/2 - 1 cup Matza meal
1 tablespoon salt
1/4 - 1/2 cup sugar
1/2 - 3/4 cup vinegar

Method:
Grate or blend the apples, onion and eggs and mix together with the tuna
Slowly add the other ingredients
Keep tasting and add the liquids according to taste and texture

Honey Cake

I love Honey Cake! We normally make it over Rosh Hashanah but to be honest that's a real shame as this is a delicious cake. The Honey Cake is a symbol of a "good and sweet year" in the Jewish religion so I suppose having this at my 30th bithday tea party can only bring good things for the year to come : )

Ingredients:
3 eggs
1 cup honey (plus a little extra for good luck)
1 cup sugar
1 cup warm coffee
3 tablespoons margarine
4 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons vanilla essence
1/2 teaspoon allspice
Additional spices (optional)

Method:
Cream margarine and sugar
Add eggs then honey and continue to mix
Add sugar and mix again
Mix baking soda into coffee, then add to the mixture
Add remaining ingredients (optional cinnamon, ginger and ground cloves) and beat together well
Bake at 160ºC for about 70minutes
Sprinkle with icing sugar once cool