Shabbat Shalom, Y'all! (Sabbath Peace, Y'all) with Recipes

   And speaking of "simchah's" (rejoicing, or 'joyous occasion'- in Hebrew) just as the evening and the morning were the first day, according to the Bible, the biblical feast day   (yes, it IS a feast of the Lord), Shabbat or Sabbath begins at sundown every Friday evening or, Erev Shabbat. God, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, ordained this feast so that His people Israel should lay aside their work and rest and worship Him. For the Jewish people, this is tradition. For believing Jews and non-Jews - we who recognize Jesus or Yeshua, as Messiah know God shows us this feast as a time to rest IN Him. Yeshua IS our Shabbat Shalom! He is our Sabbath Peace. Halleluyah!

   If you would like to to spend Sabbath or, Shabbat, (Saturday) resting in the Lord, reading His Word and worshiping Him, you may want to prepare ahead of time a delicious Jewish stew, Cholent. The word "cholent" is of Latin origin meaning "hot" as in calorie. 

   Folk tradition says cholent comes from the Hebrew word she'lan which means "rested overnight." This refers to an old time cooking process where Jewish families would prepare cholent and place it in the local bakers' ovens that stayed hot and slow-cooked their dish overnight.

    Traditional Jewish Shabbat foods such as cholent, must be prepared as early as Thursday, and certainly no later than Friday afternoon. The pre-cooked foods may then be kept hot for the Shabbat meal served Saturday afternoon. 

    Prepare this healthy, traditionally Jewish meal early Friday afternoon with my recipe  and allow it to simmer slowly all night in your crock-pot; the perfect vessel for over-night cooking this delicious stew from my Feast of Israel Cookbook. www.messiahsongs.com 

CHOLENT

(bean, barley, meat, onion, and potato stew)

 You'll need:

1/2 cup kidney beans

1/2 cup lima beans

1/2 cup navy beans

6 small potatoes, cut into cubes (or quartered)

1 pound stew meat, cut into cubes

1/2 cup fine, or medium barley

1 medium onion, quartered

11/2 teaspoon salt 

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1 teaspoon garlic powder, or, 3 garlic cloves minced

The night before you prepare this dish, put all the beans in a large bowl and cover with cold water. Allow beans to soak overnight.Before cooking drain and rinse beans removing any stones or dried out beans. 

Peel potatoes, quarter and add to pot. Rinse barley and meat and add to the pot. Peel and quarter onion. Place in a 6 quart pot. Add drained beans and water until pot is three-quarters full. Add salt, pepper, garlic. Cover and bring to a boil, then reduce heat. Let simmer at least an hour. Add water when needed making sure water level is at least one inch above ingredients. Keep pot tightly covered. Pour contents of pot into a crock-pot slow-cooker Low temperature. The longer this stew simmers the better. You can toss in a bay leaf for an added dimension of flavor, if you choose.

Serve Shabbat afternoon. Serves 4 to 6. B'tayavon!

Celebrating Simchat Torah ( Rejoicing in the Law) - with Recipes!

    Today is the last day of the eight day Fall Feast of Tabernacles, or Sukkot,(sue-coat) meaning "booths" or huts. If you remember, we, (Jew and Gentile) as New Covenant believers can celebrate this holiday (holy-day) by recognizing that we are the booths or huts in which Messiah dwells; no longer are we wandering through the wilderness following a pillar of fire by night, and a cloud by day. We've been redeemed! Rejoice! Scroll down for more information on Feasts of Tabernacles in my earlier posts.    

    Tonight (at present), we celebrate Simchat Torah, or rejoicing in the Law. Although Simchat Torah is not a commandment in the Bible, it's a tradition kept by the Jewish people that can be traced back to the 10th century. Just like the tradition of the Jewish priests "pouring out the water" from pitchers at the Temple Mount during Sukkot (Jesus says, " If anyone thirsts let him come to me and drink" John 7), Jesus, Yeshua, took that Jewish tradition and showed what it really means. He showed us that He (Jesus) IS the water that was (and is!) poured out; that Jesus, the Holy Spirit would be poured out upon the Church (comprised of believing Jews and Gentiles) once He was glorified (ruling and reigning at the right hand of the Father). Yeshua is the personification of the Torah (He  fulfilled the Law) and so, we rejoice in Him! Simchat Torah is a one-day holiday - but we can celebrate Yeshua all year long. This is why God wants us to celebrate his biblical feasts. From Shabbat through Sukkot, He wants to commune with us throughout His seasons! www.messiahsongs.com 

Fresh from my Feasts of Israel Cookbook

Let's celebrate with delicious

Confetti Rice Salad

You'll need

3 cups white or brown rice

1 large apple, cored and diced

1 large navel orange, peeled and diced

2/3 cups chopped walnuts

2/3 cups diced celery

1/2 cup diced pitted dates

1/4 cup unsalted sunflower seeds (raw or toasted)

1/4 cups sour cream

1/4 cups mayonnaise

3 Tablespoons orange juice

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

In a large bowl, combine the rice, apple,orange, walnuts celery, dates and sunflower seeds. In a small bowl, combine the sour cream, mayonnaise, orange juice and ginger. Stir mixture into rice mixture until combined. Chill, covered, for several hours or until serving time, to allow flavors to mingle. Serves 8.

Feast of Tabernacles Recipe Day 4 Spinach Artichoke Casserole

Leviticus 23: 33, 34 And the Lord spake to Moses, saying (34) Speak unto the children of Israel saying, " The fifteenth day of the seventh month shall be the feast of tabernacles for seven days unto the LORD." (KJV)


     The Talpiot artichoke is a late season variety that originates in Israel. This strain has been bred in Spain and  produces a medium size plant with leaves that have no spine and very attractive curved edges. The Talpiot produces uniform, spherical heads and grows to a height of between 2 to 4 feet. 

     When choosing an artichoke for, say, dinner, choose one with the leaves tightly closed. If the leaves are even slightly open, the artichoke is overripe and the leaves will be tough.

     My recipe for Spinach Artichoke Casserole can be prepared with the hearts of Talpiot artichokes, or simply pick up a can of artichoke hearts from your local grocer or Whole  Foods Market. Either choice will help produce this tasty side dish  for any any season, particularly Fall.

Spinach Artichoke Casserole

You'll need:

2 pkg. frozen spinach, boiled and drained well

1 (14 ounce) can artichoke hearts, drained

3/4 stick butter

1 medium onion, chopped

1 - 8 ounce container sour cream

1/2 cup freshly grated Parmeasan chees

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, or three cloves in a garlic press, to taste

Lawry's seasoned salt to taste

Worcestershire sauce to taste

 Saute onion in butter. Combine ( very well drained) spinach, sauteed` onion, squish artichokes with hands and mix in rest of ingredients. Blend well. Bake in casserole dish for 30 to 45 minutes until bubbling and brownish on top. Serves 4 to 6. B'tayavon!

Feasts of Tabernacles Recipes - Day 3 "Lynne's Cranberry Salsa"

Leviticus 23: 40 And on the first day, you will take the boughs of goodly trees, branches of palm trees, and the boughs of thick trees, and willows of the brook. And you shall rejoice before the LORD your God!

Cranberries are harvested in the fall when the fruit takes on its distinctive deep red color. This is usually in September ...................during the Feasts of Tabernacles - Sukkot.

My unique, tasty salsa makes a colorful addition to your Thanksgiving table. Serve it as a side dish, or, pour it over a softened brick of cream cheese and serve it with crackers as a hors d'oeuvre. Spoon this salsa into Mason Jars for the perfect holiday hostess gift!

Lynne's Cranberry Salsa

You'll need:

1 (12 ounce) bag whole cranberries

4 Tablespoon freash cilantro

1/3 cup freshly squeezed lime juice

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1/2 small jalapeno pepper, minced (remove seeds for milder salsa)

2 Tablespoon grated yellow onion

1/2 cup sugar

In a saucepan, boil a standard 12 ounce bag of cranberries just until the berries begin to pop open. Do not over-boil. Drain in a colander. Rinse the berries with cold water. Pour into a bowl. . When cooled, squish the berries with your hands. Chop and add cilantro; add lime juice, salt and pepper. Add the rest of the ingredients. Mix well. Chill and serve as suggested above. 

B'Tayavon! ( Hebrew for 'good appetite.')

Feast of Tabernacle Recipe For Rugelach, An American Jewish Cookie

Feast of Tabernacles - Day Two

According to Leviticus 23, the biblical Feast of Tabernacles, or Sukkot ( pronounced 'soo-coat'), is the celebration of the Israelites making their way through the wilderness in booths, or huts (sukkahs) guided by a 'pillar of fire' by night (the Shekinah glory of God) and a 'cloud'  by day (the Holy Spirit.)

As New Covenant believers, we celebrate this feast knowing that Yeshua, Jesus, leads us through the wilderness ( in order to build godly character in us as His disciples) to qualify us to be candidates for The Promised Land.

Sukkot is also about harvest, and the blessing of the harvest, or, being "stuffed" with the bountiful blessings of our Lord. Consequently, foods "stuffed" with food is a recurring culinary theme in Sukkot.

Rugelach (pronounced "rug -eh- loch, with the gutteral "ch" sound),  is an American Jewish pastry. It's rolled and shaped like a crescent and stuffed with jam, cinnamon sugar, chocolate spread, chocolate chips, nuts, and any other tasty filling you can imagine. Baking and eating Rugelach is a delicious way to enhance the celebration of Sukkot.

                           Enjoy my sweet, easy to make recipe for Bruce's Yummy Rugelach:

You'll need:

The dough:

8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature

1 cup ( 2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature

2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

pinch of salt

Confection's sugar

Apricot filling:

1 cup apricot preserves

3/4 cup walnuts, rough;y chopped

Chocolate filling:

1 cup ( about 8 ounces) shaved bittersweet chocolate 

1/4 cup sugar

Cinnamon sugar filling:

1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted

1/2 cup sugar

2 teaspoons cinnamon

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.

Cream together cream cheese and butter. Add flour slowly until a soft dough is formed. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 2 hours.

Mix the ingredients for the apricot or chocolate filling and divide the dough into four balls. Roll these balls out into 4 circles approximately 1/8 inch thick and 9 inches in diameter. Spread the filling over the dough leaving about 1/2 inch around the edges. If using cinnamon sugar, brush the butter on first, then sprinkle cinnamon/sugar mixture over the dough. 

Using a pizza cutter, cut each circle of dough into eight pieces ( 16, for smaller crescents.) Roll each triangle up into a crescent ( bend each end of the crescent forward) and place in a row on the parchment paper lined baking sheet.

Bake for 25 minutes until lightly browned. Place on wire rack to cool. Sprinkle the apricot and chocolate rugelach with sugar or confectioner's sugar just before serving. Make 32 rugelach.

B'tayavon!