Just in time for the holidays, I’ve created a line of cheese boards, perfect for entertaining. There are 3 designs that feature my signature combination of photography and watercolor. View them all in the shop!
The Easiest, Tastiest Challah Recipe
I made a round loaf of challah last night for the Jewish new year, Rosh Hashana and when I posted it on Instagram, I got some questions about the recipe so I’m adding it here, below!
I still stand by my original challah recipe (last recipe in my first book ) however I’ve shifted the way I make it over the last several years. I make a slightly bigger loaf now that we have three kids and I have moved away from refined sugar. I also like to use rapid yeast now, so that it doesn’t take as long to rise. Below is my more recent recipe:
CHALLAH
Combine in a standing mixer—>
1 c water
1 packet rapid rise yeast
1/4 c honey or agave
1/3 c olive oil (or veg oil)
2 beaten eggs (but save about 1T of this for later)
1 t coarse salt
(plus bread flour, see note below)
Mix everything together and while the dough hook is spinning, slowly add bread flour. You can also use all purpose flour, but lately I like the texture that bread flour gives. I have found that Bob’s Red Mill flour is totally superior to all others I’ve tried (this is not sponsored!)! I don’t measure the flour but you need around 4 cups. Keep adding flour little by little until your dough turns into a ball and only sticks to the bottom of the bowl a tiny bit. Let the mixer run for another 10 minutes or so on low to “knead” the dough.
Next put your dough ball in an oiled mixing bowl (I use a spray oil and flip the dough ball to coat both sides.) I cover the bowl and put it in the oven (off) with the light on to keep it a little bit warm. Let it rise for about two hours or until it puffs up and seems about doubled in size.
Next, cut the dough into pieces, roll the pieces into ropes and braid it. On an average Friday night Shabbat I do a three-piece long braid. If I’m feeling fancy I’ll watch a YouTube video on a six strand braid, because I can never remember how to do it. For Rosh Hashana, I do a round loaf which symbolizes the cycle of the new year beginning.
Coat the top of your braided challah with that little bit of that leftover beaten egg. You can use a brush, but I just use my hands! Sprinkle with sesame seeds and/or coarse salt and bake at 350F for 30 minutes. (for a round loaf, 35 min) Eat it warm! And if you are like my kids, you’ll smother each bite in salted butter, also.
#shanatovah #challah #roshhashana
Orange Tree Dress!
I’m so excited to let you know that the Fall Forest Feast dress launched TODAY! We had such a great response with the first dress that we had to do another one. I’ve been wearing this fall dress non-stop and it’s my new favorite. It’s a premium jersey knit fabric that’s soft and stretchy with long sleeves, and it can be dressed up or down. I’ve worn it with flats to pick up the kids and with boots when going out to dinner. It’s also super comfortable, machine washable and comes in sizes 2XS-6XL. It features the iconic Forest Feast Orange Tree print (which is actually a photo I took of an orange tree years ago in Sacramento, California!) The print has sort of become our family “tartan” and the signature print of my brand. It appears on the endpages of my latest cookbook and is even upholstered on furniture at the cabin.
Like last time, it will be a limited 48-hr flash sale, so click here to snag one!
Butternut "Brisket" for Rosh Hashana
The Jewish New Year, Rosh Hashana, is coming up this weekend and we always host a festive fall dinner. I’m constantly in search of a good vegetarian main course and in the past I’ve often done a Squash Lasagna. Brisket is a main dish commonly served at Rosh Hashana so I thought I’d do a vegetarian dish inspired by it. I ended up making a whole butternut squash sliced hasselback-style (which is easier than it looks!) and baked with some spices and herbs that are often used when making a meat brisket.
The trickiest part of this recipe is peeling the butternut. Use a potato peeler and shave down the sides while it’s whole. Hopefully your peeler is sharper than mine and this won’t be too much of a chore! After the squash is halved and the seeds removed, slice each one hasselback-style, like above. Some recipes suggest using chopsticks on either side, but I didn’t have any, so instead I used a couple of butter knives that I didn’t care much about. They create a bit of space between your knife and the cutting board so that you don’t cut all the way through and the whole thing stays intact.
Everything is baked and served in the same dish
Everything is combined in one casserole baking dish which makes it easy to serve as well. A spiced liquid is poured over the whole dish before baking. Pomegranate and chives are added once it comes out of the oven. I prefer to eat a myriad of sides and while this could be a veggie side, it’s so substantial and pretty in the dish that it feels like a main and accompanies several sides so nicely. Also, this goes without saying, but it could of course be served alongside actual brisket if that’s what you’re serving!
Sprinkle it with pomegranate and chives when it comes out of the oven
A festive, colorful vegetarian main course for a fall meal.
Butternut “Brisket” for Rosh Hashana
1 medium butternut squash (approx 3 pounds), peeled and cut hasselback style
Veg to scatter around the main squash:
1 small sweet potato, peeled and cut into big cubes
2 carrots, cut into big cubes (I don’t bother peeling)
1 large red onion (or 2 small) cut into big cubes
5 dates (sliced in chunks)
1 handful (yellow) cherry tomatoes
3 bay leaves
For the sauce:
1/2 c veg broth
1/2 t paprika
1/4 t cinnamon
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 T honey (or maple syrup to make it vegan)
1/4 olive oil
1 t coarse salt
Garnish:
2 t chives, finely chopped
1/3 c fresh pomegranate seeds
salt and pepper to taste
Instructions: (preheat oven to 425F)
Start by using a hand potato peeler to peel the skin off the butternut squash while it’s whole. This is the hardest part of this recipe, so hang in there! It just takes a few minutes. Go little by little around those curves.
Use a large knife to cut the squash in half lengthwise. I like to trim the bottom of the squash just a tiny bit to remove any remaining peel, but keep the stem (it’s pretty!). Use a spoon to remove the seeds.
Lay the 2 squash halves face-down on a cutting board. Starting with one of them, lay 2 butter knives (or chopsticks or wooden spoon handles) alongside the squash (see pic above). This keeps you from cutting all the way through and keeps the squash intact. This is hasselback! Looks pretty, but it’s not too hard–who knew?! Slice both squash halves from end to end. If some slices fall out as you go (mine did) just pop them back in. If you slice the whole thing in half, don’t worry, just push it together in the pan later. No one will notice!
Place both “hasselbacked” squash halves in a casserole dish, face down. I used an oval dish that’s 9x13”. Scatter all the other cubed vegetables, etc around the squash.
Combine all the sauce items and stir. Pour this mixture over the whole casserole.
A note on the dates: try to have them be submerged in the liquid otherwise they can get burnt and chewy and hard in the baking process (which I kinda like but it’s probably not for everyone!). If your squash was big, or your dish was big, or you had a LOT of veg piled up around it….you may want to add a bit more veg broth.
Let’s bake this thing! It should take about an hour at 425F in the middle rack. Half way through, open the oven and use a spoon to (carefully!!) spoon the liquid from the sides over the butternut and into those crevices. Stir the veg on the sides a bit and make sure those dates are underneath the liquid. At the 50-60 minute mark, use a fork and poke the squash and surrounding vegetables. If they are soft, it’s done! If your squash was on the bigger side, it might need a bit more time.
When it comes out of the oven, sprinkle the top with chives and fresh pomegranate seeds
Serve it hot and enjoy!
Suggestions for other items to serve it with (apples and honey are key at Rosh Hashana!):
Shana Tovah!
Skillet Tofu and Onions
Even though tofu is something I eat and enjoy often, I didn’t include it until book #5 because I wanted to focus on ingredients that are less stereotypically vegetarian and more just generally vegetarian (if that makes sense?!) But it was time, and this is a dish we make often on weeknights. It fulfills the protein craving and combines some of my favorite flavors, all in one pan. Find it on page 169 of The Forest Feast Road Trip.
