Passover Dessert: Ricotta Mousse Cups

Passover is next week, and I am looking forward to a trip to the east coast to spend it with family in New York (1st night) and Connecticut (2nd night). (Plus, I was able to fit a couple book launch events in!) Feel free to follow along with me on Instagram, @theforestfeast.

This tasty mousse recipe is from my new book, and I think it would be perfect for Passover if you are looking for a dessert idea to end your meal. I had a version of it at a friend’s house for dinner once and had to go home and recreate it! It’s SO easy, and can also be made in a bigger dish instead of individual cups. This recipe serves 4.

Other Passover recipe posts + ideas:

Our Seder in the woods (2012) (with Haroset + Farfel recipes)

Beet Haroset

Matzo Brei Scallion Pancakes

Enjoy! And Happy Passover :)

Pomegranate Challah

The Jewish holiday of Yom Kippur is this week, which continues the season of the Jewish New Year. To celebrate this annual cycle, challah is often formed into a round (instead of being braided) and harvest type foods, like pomegranate, are often eaten. I combined these ideas into a sweet bread, baked with lots of honey and pomegranate seeds. You can work the pom seeds into the dough itself, or just sprinkle them on the top, or both!

I have tried a million challah recipes and came up with this combo of ingredients that I like best. Bread is not that hard, you can do it! Here’s how:

Put one packet of yeast in a bowl with ¾ cup warm water and let it sit for 5 min until it gets a little bubbly. Then toss in an egg, 1/3 honey, 2T brown sugar, a big pinch of coarse salt and a half stick melted butter. Mix it all by hand or using a mixer. Then add flour, little by little until it’s no longer sticking to the side of the bowl and is thick and doughy and doesn’t seem to absorb any more flour (you’ll know…). You usually need about 4 cups of flour.

Knead it for a couple minutes (or just let it go around in the mixer with the dough hook) then throw that lump of dough into a big bowl you’ve coated in oil, and cover the top of the bowl with saran wrap. It’ll rise to about twice the size in a couple hours. Then take it out, roll it into a snake, then coil it into a round. Sprinkle with pom seeds and brush with egg (optional, but makes it feel more official!). Let it rise on a cookie sheet for another 45 min or so, then pop it in the oven for about 25 min at 350 degrees. Check it once in a while to see how brown it’s getting, and tap it on the bottom to see if it’s done (it should sound kind of hollow). Enjoy!

By Erin Gleeson for The Forest Feast

Tu B'shvat Celebration

It is the Jewish holiday of Tu B'shvat today, the New Year of the Trees! Those who celebrate it have a meal this evening with 15 different types of fruits and nuts, drink 4 cups of wine and plant a tree together. Lovely idea, isn’t it? In modern times, many Jews have connected Tu B’Shvat with ideas of environmental awareness and sustainability.

photo © Erin Gleeson

Blood Orange Cabbage Salad

This salad is so simple and colorful. Just slice or chop 2 carrots, 1 purple cabbage, 5 radishes and 2 blood oranges. Toss together with a handful of golden raisins. Make a simple dressing of olive oil, balsamic vinegar and the juice from one more blood orange. Use a couple of the outer cabbage leaves as bowls for a pretty look. A wintery citrusy delight!

Photos and Illustration © Erin Gleeson

Roasted Sunchokes

Sunchokes (a.k.a. jerusalem artichokes) are a gnarly looking vegetable, but quite tasty! They are similar to potatoes, but less starchy. This roasted combo goes great with soup on a winter day.

Photos and illustrations © Erin Gleeson www.theforestfeast.com