“Tzimmes” in Yiddish means “big deal” but don’t let that scare you because actually this dish is difficult to mess up. Tzimmes are often served during the Jewish high holidays, particularly during Rosh Hashanah since honey is the holiday’s grand symbol for a sweet new year. They are also useful at Passover since they are leaven-free. Tzimmes may come in many varieties but they generally comprise some kind of sweet root vegetable dish with cinnamon and dried fruit.
Ingredients
1 and ½ pounds sweet potato, peeled and chopped
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 ¼ cups water
6 tablespoons brown sugar
½ cup raisins
1 cup dates, chopped
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon cinnamon
pinch of ground cloves
pinch of black pepper
2 tablespoons honey
juice of ½ lemon
Directions
1) Melt butter in a Dutch oven or large saucepan. Over medium-high heat, add the sweet potatoes and sauté for eight minutes.
2) Add the water and brown sugar. Bring everything to a boil.
3) Stir in the raisins and prunes. Sprinkle evenly with salt, cinnamon, cloves, pepper, and honey.
4) Cover the dish and let the tzimmes simmer over low heat for 2 hours.
5) Remove the cover and sprinkle with lemon juice. Let the dish simmer for an additional 25 minutes uncovered.
