Any new menu ideas for New Year?

Rosh ha Shana menu planning again - where's the year gone??? we're going to a vegetarian potluck...hostess will probably have her famous (weekly staple) pumpkin soup, so I don't think I can do my 7-veg borscht. 

I am baking my gf sweet challah with apples and sultanas, and also gf spiced honey cake with cacao nibs. 

But any ideas for what I can bring for mains? Todah rabah.

I found this gf apple cake recipe, if for some reason honey cake isn't on your menu:

Gluten Free Apple Spice Cake.

An easy, one-bowl recipe for gluten free apple spice cake. This simple recipe is just right for autumn!

 Course Dessert 

 Cuisine gluten free, vegan. 

 Prep Time 10 minutes

 Cook Time 28 minutes

 Total Time 38 minutes

 Servings 9

 Calories 249 kcal

 Author The Pretty Bee

Ingredients

• 2 cups King Arthur Multi Purpose Gluten Free Flour Blend can use all purpose flour or another gluten free flour blend
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
• 1¼ teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ginger
• ½ cup sugar
• ½ cup coconut sugar (brown sugar is okay)
• ⅓ cup organic canola oil
• 3 Tablespoons unsweetened applesauce
• one apple about 3/4 cup, peeled and shredded *
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon white vinegar
• ⅜ cup water
• powdered sugar for dusting

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, combine the shredded apple, unsweetened applesauce, organic canola oil, water, vanilla extract, and vinegar. Stir well.
2. Add the sugars and stir to combine. Add the gluten free flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, nutmeg, cinnamon, and ginger. Mix well.
3. Pour batter in an 8x8 square pan.
4. Bake at 350 degrees for 28-32 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean.
5. Let cake cool completely, then dust with powdered sugar. Store leftover cake in an airtight container.

Recipe Notes

* I simply put the apple in the food processor and shredded it that way. You could also use a grater.

I also found this pretty Morrocan-inspired salad. We currently have very sweet Sumo mandarins in season (low acid, seedless, extra juicy, jumbo size), so I might use these instead of oranges...

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 Tbsp fresh lime juice
• 1 Tbsp honey
• 1 small garlic clove, minced or pushed through a press
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1/4 tsp smoked paprika
• 1/8 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 6 navel oranges
• 1 cup oil-cured black olives, pitted and coarsely chopped
• Chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley for serving

Directions

1. In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lime juice, honey, garlic, cumin, paprika, red pepper flakes and salt. Set aside.
2. Using a sharp serrated knife, slice off the ends of each orange. Stand one orange upright on one of its flat ends. Starting at the top, cut away a section of the peel, following the curve of the fruit to the bottom and taking care to remove all the white pith. Continue in this manner around the fruit, until all the peel is gone. Lay the orange on its rounded side and cut into 1/2-inch wheels. Repeat with the remaining oranges.
3. Arrange the orange slices on a platter. Scatter the olives and parsley over the top and drizzle evenly with the dressing. Serve immediately.

and I've just been told I HAVE to make D's mother's egg and lettuce salad recipe, with the deep green outer lettuce leaves and heaps of mayo. 

So much for trying new recipes! What's everyone else making? I did read an interesting vegan pulled brisket recipe, made with underripe jackfruit, and veggo chicken schnitzel strips made from eggplant slices. 

I found a delicious savoury honey recipe from Spain! This will go beautifully with the orange and olive salad, and will look pretty on the table.

From Claudia Roden's Spain:

Berenjenas con miel (aubergine fritters with honey) Serves 4-5

[Fritters could be very thin and crisp, but apparently this way absorbs less oil and is nicer.]

2 aubergines (about 600g)

About 600ml whole milk (enough to cover the aubergine slices)

Olive or sunflower oil for frying

Plain flour for dredging

Salt

Orange blossom honey, or other clear aromatic honey

Peel aubergines and cut them into 7.5 cm slices crossways. 

Put them into a large bowl with the milk, press down with a small plate on top. Let them soak for 1-2 hours, then drain and discard the milk. 

Preheat the oil in a large saucepan. Cover a plate with plenty of flour mixed with a sprinkling of salt. Turn the slices in this mix so they are completely covered with flour and shake them to remove the excess.

Deep-fry in oil that is sizzling but not too hot. Turn the slices over as soon as one side is done. This should take 3-4 minutes in total.

Cook the slices in batches, trying to keep the oil temperature as constant as possible. Then lift out the slices and drain on kitchen paper.

Serve hot with a dribble of honey. Allow everyone to help themselves to more

If you need to reheat, do so in the oven.

I've just decided not to bake mum's honey cake this time. I'll continue the Sephardi theme (which is also in our heritage, apparently but no-one's quite sure when), and bake this yummy Spanish version, included in an 1871 kosher cookbook by Mrs Esther Levy:

Orange honey cake

4 eggs

3 1/2 cups plain flour

1/3 cup oil

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 cup sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder (yes, the recipe repeats this. Use your judgement, I think)

1cup honey

I cup strong warm coffee

1teaspoon ground allspice, a touch of strong ginger

1teaspoon cinnamon

Pinch of salt

6oz orange juice, and add the finely grated zest if you can

Prepare 2 x 9-inch cake pans, set your oven at 300 degrees F.

Beat together the eggs, oil, sugar, and honey steadily until they are well mixed. Add warm coffee to the mixture. Carefully fold in the remaining ingredients until the mixture is smooth. 

Pour the batter into the two prepared pans, bake for approx 70 mins. Cool before removing from pans. 

If you wish, you can ice these with orange or chocolate icing.