In the Kitchen with Henny: A new chapter in the kitchen

Although I am not in the third stage of life just yet – I am in my mid-50s and raising an energetic 11-year-old – I have been watching this stage up close through my parents.

And I will admit, at first I used to laugh when I saw that she freezes each individual chicken piece in its own little Ziploc bag. But she is right. When you are cooking for one or two, who wants to defrost six chicken pieces when you only need two? This way, she can take out exactly what she needs; and if she needs more, she simply pulls out another small bag. It makes perfect sense.

Here are a few simple tips that can make everyday cooking at this stage of life feel easier and more enjoyable.

Writing things down as soon as you notice you are running low means you don’t have to rely on memory later. Your list is ready when you go shopping, with no guessing or trying to remember what you need.

Use one- or two-cup containers instead of a large tub. You will defrost only what you need and avoid reheating and refreezing large batches.

When you get home from the store, place one or two pieces of fish or meat in each bag. You will only defrost exactly what you need.

Choose dishes that divide naturally or freeze well. This makes mealtime easier without extra work.

Heat the olive oil in a large pot and sauté the chopped onion for a few minutes until softened. Add the garlic and crushed ginger and cook for another minute. Pour in all the vegetables, spices, teriyaki sauce, and coconut milk, then add enough water to cover everything.

Bring the soup to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer for about an hour until the vegetables are soft. Using an immersion blender or a food processor fitted with the S blade, blend the soup until smooth. Taste and adjust the seasoning as needed.

Honestly, I am not one for leftovers, but every Sunday I am grateful for the night off and happily enjoy whatever is left from Shabbat.

The problem is that sometimes there are still leftovers from the leftovers, and that is where I draw the line. At the same time, I hate wasting food. That is exactly why this chicken pot pie is such a perfect solution, especially for anyone in the third stage of life who is cooking in smaller amounts and wants practical ways to stretch what they already have.

You can use up your leftover cooked chicken, and even a cup or two of leftover chicken soup works beautifully in the filling. It turns those pieces of chicken you are tired of looking at into something cozy and delicious, and no one, myself included, would ever guess it started out as leftovers.

Preheat your oven to 220°C. Lightly grease two loaf pans or line them with baking paper. Unroll the pastry dough and cut it in half. Press one half of the dough into the bottom and up the sides of each loaf pan.

In a medium sized saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat and sauté the chopped onions for about five minutes until softened and lightly golden. Add in the shredded chicken, flour, salt, pepper, and optional seasoning and stir. Slowly whisk in the chicken broth and parve milk and cook until the mixture becomes thick and bubbly. Add the vegetables and let simmer for 5 minutes, then remove from the heat.

Divide the filling evenly between the two pans. Fold any dough that is hanging over the sides up and over the filling to close the pie. Cut a small slit in the center of each pie to let steam escape. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes until the crust is golden brown. Let the pies rest for a few minutes before slicing.

Freezing tip: Allow the second pan to cool completely, then double wrap it with foil and label it with a permanent marker before freezing. Defrost it in the fridge the night before using, and heat it in the oven before serving.

Mejadra is a classic Middle Eastern comfort dish made from lentils, rice, and caramelized onions. It is simple, nourishing, and wonderfully forgiving, which is probably why so many families have their own versions. With just a few pantry ingredients, it becomes a warm and cozy side dish that works with almost any meal.

Years ago, my friend Yehudit brought her version of mejadra for a Friday night meal, and everyone loved it. When I asked how she made it, she smiled and said, “Oh, it’s so simple.”

I usually don’t believe people when they say that, but knowing that Yehudit has limited time for cooking, I trusted her. And she was right. This dish really is as easy as she promised, and it is the perfect recipe for anyone looking for something warm, simple, and satisfying.

Cook the lentils in 1 cup of water until just tender. Add the rice, 1½ cups of water, salt, pepper, cumin and turmeric. Bring to a boil, lower the heat, cover, and cook until the rice is fluffy and the water is absorbed.

While the rice cooks, sauté the diced onion in a bit of oil until deep golden and caramelized. Stir the onions into the lentil and rice mixture and serve warm.

Freezer tip: Still have some mejadra left? No problem, just put into a pan and double wrap with foil. Don’t forget to write “Mejadra” with a marker – because playing “Guess what’s in the freezer” is not a fun game. When ready to use, just pop into a preheated oven for about an hour before serving.

This recipe came to me from my student Yaffa, who told me that these are the cookies she baked on her own over the summer.

Every week I have the privilege of cooking with my students at Midreshet Darkaynu, and when Yaffa asked if we could make her cinnamon cookies in class, we added them to our menu right away. Watching her excitement as she shared her recipe with her classmates reminded me why I treasure our time in the kitchen together. And when that warm cinnamon aroma wafted through the school hallways, I knew this was a recipe worth sharing.

These cookies are also perfect to make when the grandkids come over. They are a true one-bowl recipe, come together in minutes, and bake up light and crispy. And I will warn you now: I am not giving you a smaller recipe because once you see how quickly they disappear, you will probably wish you had made a double batch.

Preheat your oven to 180°C and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a bowl, whisk together the oil, sugar, egg, and vanilla until smooth. Add the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt, and mix until a soft dough forms.

Roll the dough into small balls, place them on the baking sheet with space between each one, and gently flatten the tops with a spoon or your fingers.

Bake for 12 minutes. The cookies may feel a bit soft when they first come out of the oven, but they will firm up as they cool. Let them rest on the tray for a few minutes before transferring them to a rack.

KIDS ARE always trying to get to the next stage, always waiting to grow up and be older. Just ask my 11-year-old, who is convinced she is 16. Even as adolescents and young adults, we look ahead to the next milestone, the next job, the bigger house, and building our own families. And then at some point, we slow down. We stop waiting for the future and start noticing the present.

Even though I am in a different stage of life than many in my circle, I am learning to pause and appreciate where I am right now. The years are flying by, and while I look forward to the day I can retire and have more time for hobbies and volunteering, I also want to look back knowing I took in as many moments as possible.

There is something lovely about the quieter moments – less laundry to fold and fewer dishes to wash – finally giving you a bit more room to breathe. And hey, if you ever miss the hectic days, I have a sink full of dishes and two overflowing baskets of laundry waiting for you to fold. Kidding aside, this is your time: to rest a little, to travel a bit, to let others help when you need it, and to choose how you want to give back.

Reaching the next stage in life is more than just looking back at what we have accomplished. It is also about looking at today, seeing who we are in this moment, and feeling grateful for all that we have. 