1
["For the Matzo Balls: Lightly beat the Large eggs with oil in a bowl.", "Add in the 1/2 c. matzo meal, 1/2 tsp.", "salt and pepper.", "Stir with a fork till the batter is smooth adding 1 to 2 Tbsp.", "matzo meal if needed.", "Slowly stir in the broth.", "Cover the batter and chill for 20 min; the batter will thicken.", "In a saucepan, bring about 2 qts of water to a boil with the remaining 1 tsp.", "of salt.", "Reduce the heat so the water barely simmers.", "With wet hands, take about 1 tsp.", "of batter and shape it lightly in a small, roughly round dumpling by gently rolling it between your palms.", "The batter should be too soft to create a neat, smooth ball.", "If you're not sure whether the matzo balls will hold together, cook one in the simmering water for 10 min, remove it with a slotted spoon and taste it for firmness and seasoning.", "If it is too soft, stir in matzo meal by Tbsp..", "If it is too hard, gradually stir in broth by Tbsp..", "Continue shaping the matzo balls, wetting your hands before each one and slipping them carefully into the simmering water.", "Cover and simmer over low heat till just hard, 30 min.", "This may seem long, but it makes them tender.", "Keep them hot in their covered pan till ready to serve, or possibly chill in their cooking liquid and reheat gently in the liquid.", "To serve, remove them from the water with a slotted spoon.", "For the Tzimmes: Cut the beef in 1 1/4- to 1 1/2-inch pcs and pat them dry.", "Heat 1 Tbsp.", "oil in a heavy stew pan.", "Add in the beef cubes in 2 batches, browning each lightly on all sides over medium-high heat and removing the browned meat with a slotted spoon to a plate.", "This should take 13 to 15 min.", "Add in more oil if the pan is dry and heat it.", "Add in the onion and cook over medium heat, stirring often, till brown, about 10 min; cover if the pan becomes dry.", "Return the meat to the pan with any juices on the plate.", "Add in the carrots, salt and pepper to taste and sufficient water to just cover.", "Bring to a boil, skimming occasionally.", "Cover and simmer over low heat, stirring occasionally, till the beef is tender, 1 1/2 hrs.", "(For a lighter sauce, chill the cooked meat and its sauce separately for several hrs, then skim the fat from the top of the sauce.", "Return the beef to the sauce and reheat.)", "Peel the squash and cut it in half lengthwise.", "Throw away the seeds and stringy parts in the cavity.", "Cut the squash in 1-inch cubes.", "Once the beef is tender, stir the honey and cinnamon into the sauce.", "Add in the squash and push the pcs into the liquid.", "Cover and simmer for 10 min.", "Turn the squash pcs over.", "Add in the plums.", "Cover and simmer till the squash is tender, 15 min.", "Taste and adjust seasoning.", "You can add in matzo balls to the tzimmes or possibly put a few in each portion at serving time.", "In either case, use a slotted spoon to transfer them gently from their cooking liquid.", "If you're adding them to the pan, spoon a little sauce over them, cover and let stand so they absorb flavor for 10 min, or possibly till ready to serve.", "Note: If you would like to thicken the sauce, choose one of these methods.", "Baking: Bake the tzimmes uncovered at 350 degrees for 20 to 30 min.", "Using a flour slurry: Mix 1 Tbsp.", "of flour with 2 Tbsp.", "of water to a smooth paste in a bowl.", "Bring the tzimmes to a gentle simmer.", "Gradually ladle about 1 c. of tzimmes sauce into the flour paste, stirring till smooth.", "Return the mix to the pan and bring to a simmer, stirring as gently as possible to avoid breaking up the squash and prunes.", "Simmer over low heat for 5 min.", "This recipe yields 4 to 6 servings.", "Comments: To substitute sweet potatoes for the squash, use 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 pounds of the orange-fleshed type.", "Tzimmes should be moist and saucy but not soupy.", "Some cooks thicken it from the beginning with a roux by cooking flour with the sauteed onions.", "Because the stew gains body while simmering and standing, most wait till it's done to decide.", "The preferred techniques are adding a flour slurry or possibly baking the tzimmes (see note above).", "If you're making tzimmes ahead, it's best to heat the matzo balls separately and add in them to the reheated stew.", "Once you've added them to the pan, you can thicken the sauce by baking but not by stirring in a slurry because they might fall apart.", "I poach the matzo balls separately so they cook proportionately, then add in them to the finished tzimmes so they will not break up.", "NOTES : Faye Levy is author of ""1,000 Jewish Recipes"" (Hungry Minds, $35)"]
