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Writer's pictureJodi Samuels

Shabbat In 1 Hour: How To Make A 3-Course Meal For 12 In Less Than 60 Minutes

Updated: Mar 12, 2021



You have all been begging for the Shabbat in 1 hour menu. This is not for chefs who pride themselves on gourmet cooking. It’s for busy moms who want to wow their guests with a delicious meal, full of different flavors and colors, and make this happen in just 60 minutes of prep time. First you need to know the rules.


1. I do not make anything that cannot be made on high

2. I do not make anything that requires more than 5 minutes of prep time

3. I do not make anything that requires more than 1 pot

4. Avoid all vegetables that require peeling and hard work

5. Always stock chopped garlic, chopped ginger, and mustard

6. I buy pre-washed lettuce, cabbage etc. so I do not need to do the bug checking


The menu for 12:

First Course: Corn and dill soup

Second Course: Baked gefilta fish

Main Course: Marinated beef, Roast chicken, Couscous, Zucchini, Spinach salad and Cabbage salad


Corn soup (10 min)

2 cans corn kernels

2 cans creamed corn


4 tablespoons vegetable stock

2 liters of water

Fresh dill to taste


Add all ingredients, bring to boil and use hand held blender to lightly blend


Gefilta fish (5 min)

1 roll salmon gefilta fish

1 roll regular gefilta fish

Ground black pepper

Paprika

Olive oil

Dried chopped onions



Unwrap frozen gefilta fish, baste with olive oil and then roll in dried onions, paprika and black pepper

Pop in the oven for 30 min on 350 F


Meat (10 min)

Cut of meat

BBQ sauce

Ketchup

Coke

Meat spice

2 onions

1 can crushed tomatoes

Chopped garlic


Spice defrosted meat with meat seasoning and 1 tsp chopped garlic

Add ½ cup ketchup

Add ½ cup BBQ sauce and 1 cup of coke ( coke is an amazing tenderizer)

Add 2 onions and can of tomatoes

Cover with foil and cook for 2 hours at 300 degrees

Then uncover and cook for 1 additional hour or until your required level of darkness


Rosemary chicken (7 min)

I only buy skinless breasts and drumsticks

Dried Rosemary

Salt


Pepper

Olive oil

Garlic

2 Onions



Baste the tray with a thin layer of olive oil. Spice the chicken with salt, pepper, rosemary and 1 tsp chopped garlic

Slice 2 onions

Pop in oven for 1 hour


Couscous (3 min)

1 box of Near East Couscous – choose your flavor

pine nuts


I do not follow the box instructions. I open the couscous into the serving dish. I add the required hot water, stir briefly and add 1 handful of pine nuts – otherwise plain couscous looks exotic and you are done in less than 3 minutes!


Zucchini (10 min)

6 green zucchinis

5 yellow zucchinis

1 container Turkish dip or capanata

1 tablespoon olive oil


Baste the tray with olive oil, slice zucchini in coins and cover with caponata or Turkish dip. Cook at 350 degrees for 20 minutes


Cabbage salad (7 min)

2 bags chopped cabbage

Ramen noodles

Almonds

1 spoon oil

½ cup sugar

2 tablespoons soy sauce

½ cup brown vinegar

1 tsp whole grain mustard

½ tsp salt



Lightly toast crushed ramen noodles and 1 cup slivered almonds until light brown – about 2 minutes. Save these and add to salad just before serving so they maintain crunchiness.


All remaining ingredients for dressing can be boiled in a pot – 2 minutes

Add cool dressing to cabbage salad and mix


Spinach salad (5 min)

Washed baby spinach

1bag terra chips

1 cup cashews

1 tablespoon peanut oil,

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1 tablespoon whole grain mustard

1 teaspoon sugar

Pinch pepper

Pinch salt


Display washed baby spinach in a large platter, add a layer of terra chips and sprinkle with cashews. Mix all ingredients for dressing in a cup and drizzle on salad – do not toss!

Add dressing just before serving.


So that’s your fish, soup and main including 2 meats, a starch, vegetable and 2 salads in 57 minutes


In the 3 minutes remaining you could make a Duncan Heines cake, or pour yourself a drink and savor the fact you just saved yourself hours!


Originally published: August 30, 2012


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