I do not "make yontif" - generally the expression used to explain all the meal prep, cleaning, and welcoming of guests. For obvious reasons, I'm rarely around for the holiday meals. But I do love to cook and bake, as you might know. So I try to make something for the yontif table.
This year, my synagoguge held a Rosh HaShanah cooking class. The instructor, a wonderful woman named Ruth Ross, demonstrated a recipe for mock chopped liver that I totally fell in love with.
(Sidebar: I'm a vegetarian, as you might also know. I don't think I've eaten real chopped liver in 20 years.)
When she made it, she brought out a small container filled with deeply beautiful caramelized onions. She explained that they take 5-6 hours to slow-cook but add the right depth of flavor to the chopped "liver." I was totally sold.
I started with the onions, about five pounds, sliced.
Cooked for about 5 hours (with the help of my mom and dad who were hanging around for the day)
You can see how they cook down:
The finished onion product looked like this:
Then I refrigerated the onions (which they tell me will keep for a week or so, but I did add some to my eggs this morning...mmm....they won't last long.)
Now, onto the recipe:
1 cup lentils cooked in 2 cups water until tender (or one package of Trader Joe's prepared lentils...shhh)
about a cup of those amazing onions. or more
a smidge of oil
1 1/2 cups walnuts, toasted in the oven at 350 for about 10 minutes
3 hard boiled eggs
Put the walnuts and onions in the food processor, and pulse til chopped.
Add lentils, and process until smooth. Add oil as needed but not too much.
Add eggs, add salt and pepper if you think it needs it.
Chill and eat!P.S. Don't want to make the crazy onions? Just take 2 onions, chop and saute in a little oil. Then use those. Won't be quite as complex and amazing but it will be pretty darn good.
Absolutely delicious. Even the Abba thinks so!
May your new year be sweet, wonderful, and full of delicious smells and tastes.
May you find happiness and contentment, blessings and peace.
Shana tova!
2 comments:
Yum! This sounds so good.
Maybe I'll try it for Sukkot.
My grandmother makes a vegetarian chopped live that is amazing. The main ingredient in hers is peas. I would love to try your recipe, but have a walnut allergy. Do you think keeping them out would be a huge difference? I know in her recipe when the walnuts are left out it is fine. Wishing you and your family a Sweet New Year :)
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