Overwhelmed - need suggestions please

Claudia ↓

Wed, Jun 08 2016, 8:39 am

I cannot figure out how to cook 6 meals in advance!
I need menu ideas please for first and second night meals?
What side dishes are you making and how are you keeping them fresh?

yamz

Wed, Jun 08 2016, 9:41 am

There are several ways to cope with this problem. Mix and match as you see fit.

1) Don't make everything in advance. Cook some of your foods on yom tov itself. Either whole meals or just certain parts. For example, some people will cook all the main dishes in advance, and then cook side dishes and make salads on yom tov itself. For example, if you make a roast, you can cook pasta or rice and make a salad shortly before eating.

2) Don't cook 6 entirely different meals. Cook enough of one dish to serve twice. Make a larger soup, and serve it twice. Soup will keep fresh in the fridge for a week. Cooked salmon will stay fresh for a few days too. Many people cook large batches of pasta dishes, like cabbage and noodles, and freeze them in meal sized containers and defrost as needed.

3) Cook simply. Don't make a bunch of complicated dishes that will leave you haggard. Instead, opt for mostly simple, easier to prepare foods. Make the meals feel special by purchasing a few extravagant ingredients. For example, a more expensive cut of meat, or wild mushrooms. Make roasted potatoes using baby red potatoes instead of cutting up larger potatoes. Serve wine with your meals if you enjoy that.

4) Streamline your menus. You really don't need to serve 6 multi-course meals. It's way too much food. You don't need fish/appetizer + soup + entree with 4 sides + 3 desserts for every meal. Just make fewer things that your family really enjoys eating. For example, you could serve butternut squash soup then roast with orzo and green beans and then brownies for dessert. Or dairy -- You could serve butternut squash soup then lasagna and salad and then cherry pie.

5) Cheat a little bit. Buy a few carefully selected pre-made items. Buy high quality sorbet for dessert. Do you know of a bakery that makes a great cheesecake? Buy one. Make bourekas with store bought puff pastry. Use some frozen vegetables, they are already prepped for you.

6) The best way to avoid cooking six meals? Get invited out to friends or family for some or all of the meals. Smile

kollel wife

Wed, Jun 08 2016, 9:44 am

That was such a good answer - I don't think anyone could have anything to add!!!

Except - maybe quick easy recipes.

chani8

Wed, Jun 08 2016, 10:04 am

We dont eat traditional foods, nor do we eat a lot. So I'm not sure this will help:

We have 'do it yourself' buffets. One time it's build your own pizza. Another meal is 'create a sushi'. And we recently started doing noodles with a choice of sauces. I've also served 'make your own burrito/taco'.

'Dessert bar' is a meal idea that I'm planning for first night YT, motzi shobbos. We'll eat three meals on Shobbos but only dessert on YT night since it's so late. That's when we break out all the fun foods we've been dreaming of for Shavuos. Nobody wants to sit down to real food after a long shobbos of eating all day.

↑ Claudia ↓

Wed, Jun 08 2016, 10:08 am

Yamz thanks for the excellent reply. Any nice salad recipes to share?

PinkFridge ↓

Wed, Jun 08 2016, 10:13 am

Welcome!
First night of yom tov is our milchig meal and will be cold/room temp with the possible exception of soup - usually we have salmon, Greek salad, blintzes, this year I'm not blintzing.

Second night, you want something that reheats quickly. Roast can be great - I have one sliced with the gravy in the freezer.

You asked specifically for the nights, but here's another idea for the general marathon: if you have an oven (or turkey roaster) on, you can bake pre-prepped foods, e.g. meat knish (long meatloaf in dough, frozen raw), oven baked coated schnitzel (which I prep raw, flash freeze, and take out pieces as needed).

Salad ideas: marinated salad, tossed salad with dressings made early, relish trays.

Hope this helps.

chulentalakiddush

Wed, Jun 08 2016, 10:17 am

My go to quick yontif dinners that one can easily put together after candle lighting.
1.Israeli night, chicken shwarma (cut up cutlet pieces and spices in a skillet) store bought falfel balls, pita and salads
2. taco night, morningstar farm fake meat, cheese, salad, guac, beans (doing that this chag)
3. soup and bagels and spreads

↑ Claudia ↓

Wed, Jun 08 2016, 10:25 am

I'm loving these ideas, thanks ladies

↑ PinkFridge

Wed, Jun 08 2016, 10:56 am

Claudia wrote:

I'm loving these ideas, thanks ladies

So am I.
I would just add, that whatever streamlining or hacks you employ, don't skimp on yom tov atmosphere. You don't have to get the most expensive disposables, say, but do get something nicer than what you'd use for a Thursday night supper.

CEF

Wed, Jun 08 2016, 11:51 am

For me, sanity is crucial. That way I can enjoy Yomtov and its spiritual meaning. Even if meals are super simple.
I serve all evening meals early and have a more extensive desert for after kiddush. Here nacht is 10.30 so we don't eat till 11! Who wants a long meal then!?
One of my meals is crepes with different sauces (pesto, tomato, cheese) served with salad. Simple and not very Yomtov -dik but everyone loves it! Sauces can be frozen and crepes can be cooked and frozen or cooked on Yomtov.

ra_mom ↓

Wed, Jun 08 2016, 2:04 pm

Some things that stay well in the fridge when made before yom tov:
Poached salmon, pickled salmon, cream sauce salmon, gefilte fish, various sliced potato salad, cole slaw, cucumber salad, marinated rainbow salad, gingered beet salad, cheesecake,
Some you can refrigerate or freeze, depending on when you will serve them like roast beef or corned beef, meatballs, cabbage & noodles, orzo.
Then make some items that freeze well, freeze them fresh and pull out in advance to leave room to defrost fully before reheating. Like chicken soup, noodles, challah, various blintzes and other dishes

carrot

Wed, Jun 08 2016, 5:19 pm

Ra_mom, what is marinated rainbow salad?

↑ ra_mom ↓

Wed, Jun 08 2016, 5:23 pm

carrot wrote:

Ra_mom, what is marinated rainbow salad?

http://www.imamother.com/forum.....84835
Verizon versatile. My family likes it with balsamic vinegar. Sometimes we swap out pepper for zucchini and sometimes we use sugar substitute and omit oil.

↑ Claudia ↓

Wed, Jun 08 2016, 5:26 pm

Ra_mom, can you post the marinated rainbow salad recipe please?

↑ ra_mom

Wed, Jun 08 2016, 5:28 pm

Claudia wrote:

Ra_mom, can you post the marinated rainbow salad recipe please?

See the link I just posted above Smile

↑ Claudia

Wed, Jun 08 2016, 5:34 pm

Thanks it looks good, going to add it to the menu 🤗