So many of our holidays have theme-related foods. We just celebrated Rosh Hashanah with apples and honey, as well as many symbolic foods for a successful new year. When it comes to Sukkot, there is much focus on building and decorating the sukkah, but there aren’t specific foods associated with this holiday.
About 12 years ago, while my husband and I were creating menus for Sukkot, we decided to use a theme to help build a menu so that it’ wasn’t all meat and potatoes (although I have no objection to it). Theme nights give us a chance to be more creative and make menu planning easier. Some of our themed meals included the cuisines of Israel and Asia, barbecue food, and more.
It was no surprise that our Asian theme night was a big hit and became something we look forward to every year. We have been celebrating Asian night with the same group of friends every year since that first night in our sukkah years ago. This year, why not come up with your own theme for Sukkot to help you celebrate the holiday with joy?
SPRING ROLLS
These are so simple and fun to make, and they are a real crowd-pleaser. No matter how many I make each year, there are never any leftovers. This is a great activity to do with kids as well, and the rolls can be prepared and frozen in advance before frying.
Yields 18 spring rolls.
- 1 package cigar or egg roll wrappers (18-20 per pack)
- 1 bag of coleslaw mix
- 1 cup purple shredded cabbage
- 1 cup fresh Asian bean sprouts
- 3 scallions, chopped
- 1 egg for sealing
In a large bowl, combine the coleslaw mix, cabbage, bean sprouts, and scallions. Lay a baking paper sheet on your counter and place one of the wrappers on it. If the wrapper is square-shaped, then place it like a diamond in front of you.
Place 2 spoons of the cabbage mixture on the wrapper part that is closest to you. Crack the egg and mix in a glass, and use an egg brush or a spoon to brush some egg on the wrapper opposite the cabbage (the part farthest from you). Take the end of the wrapper closest to you and fold over the cabbage mix in the direction away from you.
Once the cabbage mix is folded over, fold in each side tightly and roll away from you until it seals with the egg. For a video tutorial on how to make these, visit my website, www.inthekitchenwithhenny.com. You can either freeze them for later or fry them immediately. Do not defrost for more than 10 minutes before frying.
Fill a frying pan with about 2.5 cm. of oil and heat until it sizzles. Fry for 3-4 minutes on each side until golden brown. Remove with a slotted spoon, let the oil drain, and place on a plate lined with paper towels to absorb excess oil. Serve warm. They can be reheated in the oven uncovered.
PEPPER CHICKEN
This classic Asian recipe is great for when you’re entertaining or when you need to get dinner on the table in 30 minutes. It’s easy and, most importantly, delicious!
Yields 4-6 servings.
- 1 kilo chicken breast, cubed
Marinade:
- 3 Tbsp. soy sauce
- 1 Tbsp. olive oil
- 1 Tbsp. honey
- 2 Tbsp. water or broth
- 2 tsp. cornstarch/corn flour (for thickness; optional)
- 1 tsp. ground black pepper
- 1 tsp. ground ginger or fresh grated ginger
In the pan:
- 3 Tbsp. olive oil
- 2 onions, cut into strips
- 2-3 peppers, cut into strips (use different colors)
Place the raw cubed chicken in a bowl and set aside.
Put all the marinade ingredients in a small saucepan and set on low heat for 4-5 minutes while stirring. Remove from heat, pour over the cubed chicken, and mix well to coat all the chicken. Set aside.
In a stir-fry pan, which has been placed on high heat, add olive oil and let heat for 1 minute. Then add the onions and stir for 2 minutes. Add the chicken with marinade and stir occasionally, turning the chicken over for about 15 minutes.
Lower to medium heat and toss the pepper strips into the frying pan. Mix and stir occasionally for another 5 minutes until the chicken is cooked and lightly browned. Turn off the heat, cover halfway, and let sit until serving.
FRIED RICE
Rice is a great side dish to have at any meal, but this Asian-themed meal needs some really good fried rice to pull the meal together. You can use any rice; best if it’s leftover rice.
Yields 6 servings.
- 4 cups cooked rice
- 1 onion, chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tsp. ground ginger or freshly grated
- 2 Tbsp. soy sauce
- 1 tsp. ground pepper
- 2 Tbsp. olive oil
Heat a skillet with olive oil, add the onions, and stir for 3 minutes. Then add the garlic and ginger, and brown for one minute. Then add the rice, soy sauce, and ground pepper. Mix well in the pan and let cook on low for another 5 minutes. Sprinkle with some chopped scallions before serving.
CHINESE ALMOND COOKIES
When researching desserts for Asian night, the obvious first choice was to make fortune cookies. But don’t worry, I won’t give you a recipe that I found time-consuming and with poor results. But that’s a story for another time.
So I went back to the drawing board for desserts, until I came across these Chinese almond cookies. Firstly, I must say how I love almonds and, of course, I love cookies, so this seemed to be the perfect ending to a fun and festive meal. They are crisp and light, and what’s best is that they can easily be made gluten-free.
Yields 2 dozen cookies.
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- ¾ cup sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- ½ tsp. almond extract
- ½ tsp. baking powder
- 1/4 tsp. salt
- 2 cups finely ground almond flour
- 1 cup flour (or gluten-free flour substitute)
- 1/3 cup raw almonds, for topping cookies
Egg wash:
- 1 egg
- 1 Tbsp. sugar
Preheat the oven to 180°.
In a large bowl, mix the oil, eggs, and sugar until smooth. Then add the vanilla and almond extracts and stir. Add the baking powder, salt, almond flour, flour, and mix well.
Line a cookie sheet with baking paper. With wet hands, roll 1-inch balls of dough, place them on the cookie sheet, and keep them 2 inches apart. Lightly flatten the balls with the bottom of a glass while pressing very gently. Gently press an almond in the center of each cookie.
In a glass, mix the egg and sugar, and brush lightly over each cookie.
Bake cookies for 12 minutes, let cool, and enjoy!
I’d love to hear which culinary themes you came up with to eat in your sukkah. Wishing you a very wonderful Sukkot!
The writer is a kitchen coach who conducts workshops, as well as private events for organizations. Learn more at www.inthekitchenwithhenny.com