More Holiday Deliciousness: Savory Bites

Welcome to my first blog post of the Jewish New Year! I hope all who celebrated had a happy and healthy start to the year, and had an easy and meaningful fast. For those who have been following, a quick report: the aforementioned homemade chicken soup and brisket were solid hits, the applesauce cake a little less rich than I remembered (apparently using Coffee Rich instead of milk not only makes it parve, it makes it better), and the time with family very lovely.

In addition to my usual sweet treats, I thought I'd share a few of the more savory highlights of the season this year.

Sweet Potato Pie

For Rosh Hashanah, I made my mother-in-law's sweet potato pie for the first time. It was super easy, tasted great, and even got a nod from Mom-in-law! I was surprised that the recipe didn't call for any particular spices (ie. cinnamon, etc.), but honestly, it didn't need it. As the recipe makes 2 pies, I am just waiting for the next opportunity to take pie #2 out of the freezer.

2 small graham cracker crusts
1 large can sweet potatoes (usually packed in syrup), drained and mashed (I also rinsed mine a bit to take off a bit of the extra sweetness)
1 cup sugar
1 stick margarine
1/2 cup milk
5 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp lemon juice

Combine last 6 ingredients with mashed potatoes, mix and pour into shells. Bake at 350º for approximately 45 minutes or pie is set.

That's it!

Caramelized Onion Frittata (adapted from CookingLight.com)
We hosted a couple of good friends, and their adorable, well-behaved little boy, for break-the-fast after Yom Kippur. Not only did we have great conversation and the best bagels in Boston (thank you, Rosenfeld's!), I tried my hand at a frittata. I'd only done one before, but this one sounded so delicious and light and hearty, I thought it would be perfect for post-fast. It turned out to be as good as it sounded. In fact, I still have some in the fridge I can't wait to have tomorrow for lunch! The recipe called for a 10" pan, but I wanted something a little bigger, so I used a 12" and upped the ingredients roughly by half.

2 cups diced baking potato
6 tablespoons water
Mister of oil (or just light drizzle of oil)
1 1/2 lbs.  sliced onion (or a little less)
1/3 cup water
2 medium cloves garlic, minced
2-3 tablespoons chopped fresh herbs (we used a combination of rosemary and sage)
Salt & pepper to taste
1/4-1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
4 tablespoons fat-free milk
8 large egg whites, lightly beaten
5 large eggs, lightly beaten

Place potato and 6 tablespoons water in a small microwave-safe bowl. Cover with plastic wrap, and vent. Microwave at high 4-6 minutes or until tender, stirring once. Set aside.

Heat a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with misted oil (tip: never use cooking spray on nonstick surfaces -- it gums up when heated and ruins the nonstick surface!). Add onion. Cover and cook 10 minutes or until lightly browned, stirring occasionally. Uncover, add garlic and cook 10 minutes,  or until golden brown, stirring frequently. While onion cooks, add 1/3-1/2 cup water, 1 tablespoon at a time, to prevent onion from sticking to pan. Stir in potato, herbs, salt, and pepper. Spoon into a medium bowl; cool slightly.

Combine parmesan, milk, egg whites, and eggs in a small bowl; stir with a whisk. Add egg mixture to potato mixture; stir well.

Preheat broiler.

Wipe pan with a paper towel; recoat pan with misted oil. Pour potato mixture into pan. Cook over medium heat 7-9 minutes or until bottom of frittata is browned and top is almost set.

Wrap handle of pan with foil. Sprinkle 1 more tablespoon cheese over frittata. Broil 5 minutes or until cheese melts and top is set. Cut into wedges.

You can find the original recipe here.