What can we say? So many of the past recipes tested on this blog from the IJN’s various High Holiday Foods issues have become staples, that we found ourselves going back to some of those tried-and-true recipes this year**, and fell short when it came to testing the new ones.
Have no fear though, we couldn’t let this year’s High Holiday Foods go without a single recipe tested, so over the weekend we tried Megan Wolf’s walnut chimichurri. Wolf recommends it as a topping for grilled or roasted salmon, but it also works great as a dip for challah to start your holiday meal. You’re probably thinking: Chimichurri? What’s that got to do with Rosh Hashanah? Well, one guess for the quintessential Rosh Hashanah ingredient that Wolf includes: That’s right, honey! It’s certainly not typical for a chimichurri, but it goes great with the rich salmon and adds a nice sweetness to the dip.
Walnut Chimichurri
Ingredients
- 2 cups raw baby spinach RMJ: we used one bunch of regular
- ¼ cup parsley, stalks included
- 1 tsp. dried oregano
- ½ cup olive oil
- ¼ cup balsamic vinegar
- 2 tbsp. honey
- ½ tsp. red pepper RMJ: start with a ¼ tsp., and then adjust to taste
- ¼ cup toasted walnuts
- salt to taste
- 4 5- oz. salmon filets, patted dry and brushed lightly with olive oil
Instructions
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Combine spinach, parsley and oregano in a blender or food processor until finely chopped. Drizzle in olive oil and balsamic vinegar, then blend to combine. Add honey, red pepper and walnuts, pulse until combined then season to taste with salt.
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If using as topping for salmon, preheat the oven to 425ºF before you start on the chimichurri. Once the dip is completed, roast, grill or pan-fry it to your preferred doneness and top with the chimichurri sauce. Serve hot.
**If you’re curious, the past tested recipes we went back to this year were Debbie Foster’s apple cake (halved) and Gefilte Manifesto’s Rye Honey Cake and Beet Pickles.
