L’intermission – Super Sweet!

Miriam Pascal’s 2017 best-selling cookbook, Real Life Kosher Cooking, sold out its first printing in only ten days. Now she’s back with More Real Life Kosher Cooking, a collection of recipes perfect for Pesach (Passover), like these sweet potato wedges with avocado drizzle and this matbucha brisket!

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Sweet Potato Wedges with Avocado Drizzle

I always love a good sweet-and-savory recipe combo, and these sweet potatoes combined with the tangy avocado dip are no exception. As a bonus, the beautiful contrasting colors make it an eye-catching dish!

(Pareve)

Yields six servings

For Sweet Potato Wedges:

3 sweet potatoes
3 Tablespoons oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

For Avocado Drizzle:

1 avocado
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon garlic powder
2 teaspoons lemon juice

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper; set aside.

Peel sweet potatoes and cut into wedges. Place into a large bowl; add oil, salt, and pepper. Toss to coat.

Place wedges in a single layer on prepared baking sheet. Bake for about 50 minutes, until the outsides are starting to brown.

Meanwhile, prepare the avocado drizzle: Place peeled and pitted avocado into a bowl; mash until smooth. Add remaining ingredients; stir to combine.

Remove roasted sweet potato from oven; allow to cool slightly. Just before serving, drizzle avocado mixture over wedges just before serving.

Plan Ahead: Avocado drizzle can be prepared 2 to 3 days ahead. Due to the acid in the recipe, it should not turn brown. Sweet potato wedges are best fresh, but can be prepared a day or two ahead and served at room temperature.

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Matbucha Brisket

I frequently get requests for non-sweet roast recipes, and I love to fulfill that request because my family prefers their Yom Tov roasts savory too, and I’m always looking for the next great idea. This one stuck me one day when I thought about matbucha — the ever-popular dip made from vegetables. I decided to braise a roast in a matbucha-inspired sauce, and the meat was so incredibly flavorful, I knew it was a winner!

(Includes meat)

Yields six to eight servings

Ingredients:

1 (about 3-pound) second cut brisket (see Note)
kosher salt, for sprinkling
black pepper, for sprinkling.
3 Tablespoons oil
2 onions, sliced
2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
3 bell peppers, sliced, preferably different colors
2 plum tomatoes, diced
5 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 jalapeño pepper, minced
2 teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Sprinkle salt and pepper over both sides of roast.

Heat a large, deep frying pan over high heat. Add roast; sear for 2 to 3 minutes per side, until browned on the outside. Transfer to a roasting pan; set aside.

Turn heat under the frying pan to medium; add oil, onions, and 1 teaspoon salt. Cook for about 5 minutes, until softened

Add peppers, tomatoes, garlic, jalapeño, and remaining teaspoon salt. Cook for 8 to 10 minutes, until softened.

Raise heat to high. Add cumin, chili powder, and diced tomatoes with their liquid. Cook until mixture starts to bubble around the edges. Pour vegetable mixture over the meat.

Cover roasting pan tightly; bake for 40 to 50 minutes per pound, until meat is soft and tender.

Note: Instead of a brisket, you can use French roast, minute roast, or any other cut of meat that does well when cooked low and slow.

Plan Ahead: This meat freezes well in the sauce, wrapped and airtight. Reheat, covered, until warmed through.

— V —