Low-Sugar Tzimmes

With my chicken soup recipe behind me, I can start to focus on more healthy Kosher for Passover foods. While I've enjoyed scouring the interwebs to find recipes, I've been coming up short lately because not many of these recipes are strictly Kosher for Passover but they have given me some ideas.

Over at Joy of Kosher, you can find a plethora of recipes for Pesach but none of them are particularly healthy... except this one: avocado salad... or as you may call it guacamole. It's not rocket science and it pairs really nicely with whole wheat matzo crackers.

Since I live in the Holy Land, my Seders often lack an Ashkenazic feel. Crazy, right? A lot of Israelis adapted to the dietary restrictions of their Sephardic and Mizrahi counterparts - me included. My theory: if it's good enough for them, it's good enough for me. Mind you, the first time I told my grandmother this, she thought I lost my mind. I reassured her that I'm very much a Polish Jew. My maternal-grandfather welcomed the change, though, and encouraged me to keep with it (more as a form of protest against the "system").

Still, there are things I miss during Passover here. One of them is Tzimmes... think of it as a really yummy dessert-like alternative that you eat with your meal. It's a good pairing with a savory dish like roasted chicken or brisket. This version replaces all the sugar with agave syrup and honey. It's also really easy because you can bake it.

Ingredients (serves 4 people)
1/4 bag frozen baby carrots
2 sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 can of yams
1 cup raisins
1 can of apricots
1/4 cup agave syrup
1/4 cup honey
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 cup of orange juice

What to do
In a casserole pan with a lid, place your carrots, sweet potatoes, yams, raisins, and apricots into the pan. Stir it around and then add in your spices. Add in your orange juice, then mix well.  Stir in your honey and agave syrup. Cover the pan and bake it for one hour at 250f.

Slow cooking it brings out a lot of the flavor but this won't look like a sweet potato casserole. It'll look slightly more like a stew. If yours is looking a little dry, add more orange juice.

I really love this dish because I feel like I'm eating something sweet and I can skip all the Kosher for Passover desserts! Plus, the vegetables contain good-for-you vitamins. With the sugar content brought down, you're in for a healthier treat!


** if you can't find Kosher for Passover apricots, opt for pumpkin or squash.