A reduced-carb Rosh Hashanah

Posted in Food & Recipes / Dessert Recipes

Rosh Hashanah, means literally "Head of the Year." By tradition the Jewish New Years is the world's birthday. This is a special time for prayer and forgiveness and introspection and casting away your earthly cares and concerns. It's also a time for settling disputes, forgiving others and to evaluate the past year and look forward to a new one. Many Jewish people go to flowing rivers, lakes or oceans any body of water filled with fish and cast their sins away. In synagogues, people listen to the ram's horn that speaks to their souls. People greet each other with wishes for a prosperous new year.

Rosh Hashanah is also a joyous occasion when families sit down to a festive meal of symbolic food. Placed at the head of the table is a fish head, representing prosperity and the start of a new year. Jewish people eat exotic fruits like pomegranates this time of year.

The traditional sweet foods of this time can be a challenge for a low-carb diet, but there are ways around it. Instead of eating a baked apple dipped in honey, try a symbolic slice of uncooked apple dipped in Splenda and water. Or try pomegranates that are rich in symbolism of prosperity and fertility with its numerous seeds. Pomegranates, mentioned in the Bible, are one of the world's earliest cultivated fruits.

Since it is a religious requirement to eat bread on Rosh Hashanah, I have included a whole wheat flat bread recipe. Instead of the fluffy white Eastern European Challah, this is a complex carbohydrate bread within the Middle Eastern tradition. Dip it in Splenda instead of honey.

Braised Beef Brisket
Ingredients:
1 5-pound first-cut beef brisket
1 clove garlic, halved
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 large onions, sliced
2 bay leaves
3 stalks celery, sliced (optional)
About 4 cups water

Directions:
1. Rub brisket with garlic, salt and pepper. Heat oil in an 8-quart Dutch oven pan or roasting pan over medium-high heat. Add brisket and brown on both sides. Remove.

2. Scatter onions and bay leaves in roasting pan and place brisket over top. If desired, add celery. Add water to just cover meat.

3. Cover and simmer over a low heat or bake in a 350-degree F (175 C) oven until meat is fork-tender (2 1/2 to 3 hours). (Brisket can be prepared ahead to this point, cooled and stored in refrigerator for up to two days. Skim off fat before reheating or slicing.)

4. Slice brisket across the grain (muscle line) about 1/8- inch thick. (For chilled brisket, place meat slices in a roasting pan, reheat brisket gravy, pour hot gravy over meat, cover, and bake in a 350-degree-F oven for about 45 minutes.) Makes eight to 10 servings.

Per serving: 4.29g carbohydrates; .87g fiber, 42.27g protein; 46.09g fat; 637.63mg sodium; 154.22mg cholesterol; 611.47 calories

-- Recipe adapted from recipe provided by Gil Marks, author of

Fish Latkes
Ingredients:
1 small onion, chopped
1 small stalk celery, chopped
1/4 cup fresh parsley
1 pound white-fleshed fish fillets such as cod or haddock, cubed
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon prepared white horseradish
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons whole wheat flour
1/8 cup vegetable oil for frying
2 tablespoons additional horseradish

Directions:
1. In a food processor, finely chop onion, celery and parsley. Add fish, eggs, horseradish, salt and pepper and process until smooth. Add enough whole wheat flour to make a soft batter.

2. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Drop batter by tablespoons and fry until golden on both sides (about 3 minutes per side). Serve with additional horseradish. (2 tablespoons horseradish per serving) Makes eight to 10 pancakes.

Per serving: 2.49g carbohydrates; .47g fiber; 9.73g protein; 6.96g fat; 109.59mg sodium; 61.80mg cholesterol; 86.13 calories

-- Recipe adapted from recipe provided by Gil Marks, author of