Brownie Gems
A recipe for Seudah Shlishit.
If you find yourself sitting down to eat at synagogue late Saturday afternoon, don't expect much from the menu. Where you're treated to nice meals on Friday night and Saturday for lunch, seudah shelishit, the third meal on Shabbat, is likely to be a sad conglomeration of mayonnaise-heavy salads, greasy kugels, and dry cakes.
According to the Shulhan Arukh it is preferable to eat bread at seudah shelishit, but if you are too full from lunch it is permissible to eat a slice of cake or a piece of fruit instead (OH 291:7). Most people do not say kiddush at seudah shlishit, but some do have the custom of saying just the blessing over wine, without any of the preamble found in the special kiddush liturgy for Friday night and Saturday afternoon.
So what can you do to make this obligatory meal something to look forward to? Step 1: Put away the mayonnaise. Just because the meal is typically heavy on the salads doesn't mean that is has to be incredibly unhealthy. Here you'll find three recipes that are perfect for any seudah shelishit. They call for little to no prep work before Shabbat, and they yield delicious results without ever summoning a jar of Miracle Whip.
These brownies need to be made before Shabbat, but they keep well, and are delicious enough to warrant the fifteen minutes of work they require.
Besides this sweet dessert, try a chickpea salad with cucumbers and sun-dried tomatoes, and bulgur salad with goat cheese and raisins.
Ingredients
3/4 cup melted margarine or butter
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 3/4 cups oats (quick cooking is fine)
1 package brownie mix (19-21 oz), plus the ingredients called for on the box
1 3/4 cups mini chocolate chips or mini M&Ms (optional)
Directions
In a large bowl, combine the oats, brown sugar, and baking soda. Add the melted butter or margarine, and mix until mixture is coarse and moist.
In another bowl prepare the brownie batter however is suggested on the box.
Grease a 15″x10″ baking sheet, and press the oat mixture into the bottom of the sheet until there is a thin layer of oats covering the bottom of the baking sheet. You should still have at least two cups of oat mixture left. Pour the brownie batter on top of the oat mixture, and use a spatula to make sure it is evenly distributed. Sprinkle the rest of the oat mixture over the brownie batter, and then sprinkle M&Ms or chocolate chips over that, if desired.
Bake at 350F for 25-30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
These can be kept covered in the refrigerator, or cut into bars and stored in an airtight container.
seudah
Pronounced: seh-ooh-DAH, or SUE-duh, Origin: Hebrew, meal, usually on a holiday or at a lifecycle event.
Shabbat
Pronounced: shuh-BAHT or shah-BAHT, Origin: Hebrew, the Sabbath, from sundown Friday to sundown Saturday.
