In the Kitchen with Henny: Shabbat in a snap

Just five minutes of jotting down what you’ll be cooking sets the tone for the whole week. It reduces decisions, cuts stress, and keeps you organized.

2. Make your shopping list – after a quick inventory

Check your fridge, freezer, and pantry before buying more cans of something you already have. This small step saves time, money, and frustration.

3. Do what you can before Friday

Desserts can be made on Wednesday. Vegetables can be peeled and chopped on Thursday night and kept in zip-lock bags in the fridge. Ever since daylight savings time ended, I’ve been spending 10 to 15 minutes on Thursday prepping all the vegetables I need for my Friday soup. On Friday morning, the soup is cooking within minutes. Try it. You’ll thank yourself (and maybe me!).

And now for the best part – the food. These recipes come together in minutes, even if you didn’t manage to prep anything in advance. They’re simple, reliable, and delicious every time. And truly, no one at your Shabbat table needs to know you didn’t break a sweat preparing this incredible meal.

My daughter Aliza absolutely loves this salmon! And now that she’s 11, she’s actually old enough to make it by herself. That’s how simple this recipe is. A few ingredients, a quick drizzle and sprinkle, and it’s in the oven. No stress, no mess, just a perfect Shabbat fish every time.

Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F). Line a baking pan with baking paper, and drizzle 1 tablespoon of olive oil over the surface. Place the salmon on the prepared pan, squeeze half a lemon over the top, sprinkle with garlic powder, and drizzle 2 or 3 tablespoons of honey. Add a final drizzle of 1 teaspoon olive oil.

Bake uncovered for 15-18 minutes for a whole side or 12 minutes if using salmon slices. Before serving, slice the reserved half lemon and serve alongside or squeeze lightly over the fish.

This brilliant idea came from one of the amazing women I competed with in a cooking competition this past summer. The organizer asked each of us to share a kitchen tip, and Hadassah mentioned that she cooks green beans on the plata (hotplate). I’ll admit – it sounded completely insane. Until I tried it. And oh my goodness, it works.

Once your plata is plugged in, you can make this with absolutely zero effort. Frozen green beans, a bit of olive oil, salt, and pepper… and 30 minutes later, you have perfectly cooked, bright, not at all soggy green beans.

Place the frozen green beans in a shallow, heatproof dish and drizzle with olive oil.  Season with crushed garlic, salt and pepper and place the dish directly on the plata. Cook uncovered for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the beans are heated through and tender but not mushy.

Serve straight from the plata – no pot, no pan, no effort.

This is one of my favorite Friday dishes, especially during the short-Friday season. I usually prep it in the morning so it’s ready well before Shabbat. Once it starts cooking, the entire kitchen smells incredible. My husband especially loves how the carrots become caramelized from the date honey. It’s simple, comforting, and full of flavor.

Preheat the oven to 180°C (360°F). Place the onion rings, garlic cloves, and chopped carrots in a roasting pan, then place the chicken on top. Pour the date honey evenly over the chicken and vegetables. Sprinkle with garlic powder, paprika, and black pepper. Bake uncovered for 90-100 minutes, until the chicken is browned and cooked through.

Right before candle lighting, I shut the oven off and leave the chicken inside so it stays warm until served.

• Note: If you are religiously observant, make sure your oven light does not turn on when you open the door. If the light in your oven does go on automatically, remove the chicken right before Shabbat and set it on the plata to keep warm.

I made these last Friday night, and although I prepped a lot of food, these wedges disappeared almost instantly – they’re that good. What I love most about this recipe is that you don’t need to peel the potatoes, which is exactly what makes this recipe so a-peel-ing (sorry, I had to). A quick cut, a drizzle, a sprinkle, and into the oven they go.

Preheat the oven to 180°C (360°F). Line a large baking sheet with baking paper and drizzle a little olive oil over the surface. Arrange the potato wedges on the pan in a single layer so they aren’t overcrowded. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and parsley, then drizzle with the remaining olive oil.

Bake uncovered for 40-50 minutes, until crisp, golden, and soft inside.

Back in high school, I spent a Shabbat with my friend Penina from camp, who lived in a different city. I arrived just in time for the familiar erev Shabbat rush, and one of Penina’s jobs, besides prepping the salads, was to make dessert. She pulled a few simple ingredients from the pantry, mixed them together, and within minutes the most heavenly chocolate cake was baking. One taste that Friday night, and I was hooked.

Long before we ever used the word “vegan,” Penina simply called it her “eggless chocolate cake,” and it’s been in my recipe binder ever since.

Preheat the oven to 170°C (350°F). In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, cocoa, and baking soda. Add the vinegar, vanilla, oil, and hot coffee, and mix until smooth. Stir in ½ cup of the chocolate chips. Pour the batter into a greased 9×13-inch pan and sprinkle the remaining chocolate chips on top.

Bake for 40-50 minutes, until set. Let it cool before eating – although we all know that’s probably not happening. Enjoy!

WHAT ALWAYS amazes me about these winter Fridays is that no matter what, we still manage to light Shabbat candles on time. I even surprise myself some weeks by being ready a few minutes early!

I think it’s because when we know Shabbat is coming in early, we automatically become more organized. And then in the summer, when candle lighting is so late, we tend to take our time… until those last frantic 10 minutes before lighting. Who wants to go into Shabbat that exhausted?

Remember that if you can be ready now before 4 p.m., you can absolutely do it in the summer too. There is nothing like lighting Shabbat candles when you can actually enjoy the moment – coming to this beautiful mitzvah from a calm, grounded place. The energy we bring when we welcome in Shabbat affects us, our families, our guests, and all of Klal Yisrael.

May we merit to keep bringing our light into the world with calm, Shabbat shalom! 