The fast of Tisha B'Av, in memory of the destruction of the Second Temple, will take place next week. If you avoid eating meat in the days leading up to the fast, we have good news – it’s possible to eat well even without meat.
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According to Jewish tradition, during the first nine days of the month of Av (from Thursday, the 1st of Av, until the 9th of Av), mourning customs are often observed: not washing clothes, refraining from taking hot showers, not eating meat, and not drinking wine. In fact, it’s prohibited in religious practice, to do anything that’s considered festive during this time.
Ynet has gathered several unique recipes that don’t have any kind of meat, in order to make Tisha B'Av’s fast taste delicious.
Moroccan spicy fish stew (Chraime)
By Rafi Cohen
Ingredients:
One fish weighing 2-3 kg.
For the sauce:
1/2 cup corn oil
6 tablespoons of pilpelchuma (spicy chili paste) or Moroccan Harissa
3 tablespoons of paprika in oil
10 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 tablespoon of ground caraway
1/2 tablespoon of ground cumin
1 tablespoon of sugar
1/2 tablespoon of white pepper
1 tablespoon of salt
4 crushed tomatoes with their juice
3 cups of water (or tomato juice)
1 teaspoon of ground chili flakes
3/4 cup of freshly squeezed lemon juice
Instructions:
1. Thoroughly clean the fish and fillet it horizontally, leaving the bone in, cut into 1.5 cm thick slices. If you like eating the head, cut it in half and clean it as well. You can also prepare the recipe using fish fillets.
2. Prepare the sauce: Heat the oil in a wide, deep pot. Add the pilpelchuma or Harissa and dry spices and fry for about a minute. Add the garlic and continue frying for about three more minutes. Add the rest of the ingredients, bring to a boil, and then reduce the heat. Cover the pot and cook for about 10 minutes.
3. At this stage, for those who like the fish’s head, add it to the pot and continue cooking for about 20 more minutes on very low heat.
4. Add the fish slices, bring to a boil once again, cover, and cook for 10 to 15 minutes.
5. Turn off the heat and leave the pot covered for an additional 20 minutes. When serving, squeeze fresh lemon juice over the dish.
Cauliflower Shawarma
By Nofar Zohar
Ingredients:
300g cauliflower, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons of shawarma seasoning
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon of salt
6 tablespoons of olive oil for frying
1 package of tortillas
Instructions:
1. Thinly slice the cauliflower, place it in a pot with boiling water and salt, blanch for two minutes, and drain.
2. Put the blanched and drained cauliflower in a bowl and season it with olive oil, shawarma seasoning, and salt, and mix thoroughly.
3. Heat a frying pan and sauté the chopped onion with oil until it becomes caramelized in color.
4. Add the seasoned cauliflower to the caramelized onion in the pan and fry until it turns golden and crispy.
5. On a clean frying pan, place the tortilla and heat it for 10 seconds on one side and 20 seconds on the other side.
6. Lay the shawarma on the tortilla. Add toppings and salads you enjoy and serve.
Broccoli Schnitzel
By Daniela Neufeld
Ingredients (for 10 schnitzels):
1 medium-sized broccoli head or alternatively, 2 cups of broccoli florets
1/4 cup of all-purpose flour or lentil flour
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1-2 eggs
1/4 cup finely chopped dill
1/2 teaspoon fine salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 pack of breadcrumbs for coating
Cooking oil spray
Instructions:
1. Finely chop the broccoli, either with a knife or using the coarse side of a grater or a food processor. It’s essential to ensure the broccoli is finely chopped into small crumbs; otherwise, the schnitzels may fall apart. If using fresh broccoli, you can also use the thick stems – just remember to peel them before chopping.
2. In a mixing bowl, add the broccoli crumbs, flour, grated Parmesan, chopped dill, salt, black pepper, and one egg, and mix well. If the mixture is crumbly and incohesive, add another egg and continue mixing.
3. Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F) and prepare a baking tray lined with parchment paper or a silicone mat.
4. Prepare a bowl and add the breadcrumbs. Using your hands, form the mixture into schnitzels, approximately 10x6 cm (4x2.5 inches) in size and 1-1.5 cm (0.4-0.6 inches) thick. Coat the schnitzels with breadcrumbs and place them on the baking tray. Repeat for the entire mixture.
5. Spray the schnitzels with oil on top and place them in the preheated oven. Bake for 15 minutes, then remove from the oven, flip the schnitzels to the other side, and bake for another 10 minutes.
Zucchini Spaghetti
By Haim Cohen
Ingredients:
1 package of spaghetti (500g)
5 zucchinis
1/2 cup of olive oil
30g of butter
1 dried sage leaf
Grated Pecorino or Parmesan cheese
2 garlic cloves, sliced
Juice of 1 lemon
Zest from 1 lemon
Salt, black pepper
Instructions:
1. Rinse the zucchinis thoroughly and pat them dry. Trim the ends of the zucchinis and cut them into long strips, including the skin while removing the zucchini's central core.
2. Heat a pot with boiling water and salt and cook the pasta according to package instructions. If you're using fresh pasta, be aware that it cooks faster than dry pasta, so you should start preparing the sauce before cooking it.
3. While the pasta is cooking, pour half a cup of olive oil into a deep skillet and add the butter, sage leaf, and garlic. Stir and add the lemon juice and salt.
4. About three minutes before the pasta is ready, add the zucchini strips to the pasta pot.
5. Once the pasta and zucchini are cooked, drain them, reserving about a quarter cup of pasta water on the side. Transfer the pasta with the zucchini to the skillet and mix well.
6. Take three tablespoons of water from the pasta pot and add them to the skillet. Turn off the heat.
7. Add the grated lemon zest and black pepper. Transfer to a serving plate and sprinkle grated Pecorino cheese on top.
Vegan eggplant siniya
By Guy Malka
Ingredients:
20 baby eggplants, halved and scored with a knife
4 large white onions, thinly sliced
1/2 kg cherry tomatoes, halved
4 garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced
10 pitted dates, halved
2 tablespoons pomegranate concentrate
1 tablespoon cumin seeds
Sea salt
Ground black pepper
Olive oil for frying
For the tahini sauce:
500 ml tahini
750 ml cold water
Juice of one lemon
Pinch of salt
Instructions:
1. In a hot pan with a little olive oil, fry the onions with a pinch of salt until they turn golden. Add the sliced garlic and cumin seeds, and fry for one to two minutes.
2. Transfer the fried onions to a Pyrex dish, arrange the eggplant halves over them, and top with the cherry tomatoes. Season with olive oil, salt, and black pepper.
3. Cover the dish with aluminum foil and place in a preheated oven set to 180°C (356°F) for half an hour. Remove the foil and roast for another fifteen minutes without covering the dish.
4. Pour the tahini sauce over the grilled vegetables and cook for another 15 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with pomegranate concentrate.
To serve: Serve the vegan eggplant siniya in the Pyrex dish, sprinkle with watercress or pursley, drizzle with olive oil and lemon juice, and garnish with sliced and toasted almonds. Serve immediately.
Stuffed rolled lasagna (Rotolo)
By Haim Cohen
Ingredients:
For the pasta dough:
300g flour
3 eggs
Pinch of salt
For the filling:
180g boiled and mashed potatoes
80g onions, fried in a pan with a pinch of salt on low heat for 40 minutes to an hour while stirring
80g leek, cut into strips and sautéed in a pan on low heat with a little butter for 45 minutes while stirring
2 sprigs of thyme
60g bechamel sauce
20g grated Parmesan cheese
Salt, pepper - to taste
For the bechamel sauce:
50g butter
2 tablespoons flour
1 cup milk
Pinch of salt and pepper
For serving:
Some of the bechamel sauce
Grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions:
1. Make the pasta dough - Place the ingredients in a bowl and knead for about 10 minutes until you get a smooth dough. Wrap it tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 40 minutes. Remove from the refrigerator and pass it through a pasta machine to get thin sheets. Another option is to roll the dough using a rolling pin. Cut each sheet into 25cm x 25cm squares.
2. Make the bechamel sauce - Melt the butter in a small saucepan. Gradually add the flour while stirring until it’s absorbed by the butter. Pour in the milk while stirring (to prevent lumps). Continue stirring until you get a smooth mixture (if it's too thick, add more milk until you reach the desired consistency). Remove from the heat and keep covered.
3. Make the filling and fill the pasta sheets - Mix all the filling ingredients together until you get a uniform mixture. Moisten one end of a pasta sheet with water and stick it to the end of another sheet (each roll is made of two sheets). Spread the filling over the sheets and roll it closed.
4. Bake the rolls - Grease a baking dish with olive oil, place the rolls in the dish, and pour a cup of hot water around it. Cover with aluminum foil and place in a preheated oven set to 220°C (428°F) for 20 minutes.
5. To serve - Slice the rolls, sprinkle a little bechamel sauce and Parmesan cheese on top, and return to the oven for an additional 10 minutes.