Layers 1, 2 & 3 of the 3-color gelfite fish load (Left to Right)

I had such good intentions to start my Rosh Hashanah shopping and cooking early but it just did not happen. I did manage to bake my Challah this past Sunday but didn’t get started on the food until last night. I started with this beautiful Three-Color Gefilte Fish Loaf recipe that I found online last year at GourMania.com, along with a Horseradish Sauce from AllRecipes.com. The gelfite recipe is attributed to Norene’s Healthy Kitchen by Norene Gilletz. I don’t have this cookbook but after making this recipe for last year’s Rosh Hashanah meal, I’m thinking it might be a good a good investment. There was not a bite of this loaf left after the meal last year and folks who normally won’t touch gefilte fish raved about how delicious it was. Here are the instructions from the GourMania site:

Looks complicated—cooks easily! This layered loaf looks elegant and tastes terrific. You won’t have to fish for compliments when you serve this to your guests. They’ll fall for it—hook, line, and sinker!

Fish Mixture:

2 loaves frozen gefilte fish loaf, thawed (22 oz/623 g each) 2 large eggs, lightly beaten 1/2 tsp salt 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper 1/2 tsp garlic powder (There was a big shortage of gefilte fish in Dallas this past week and I had to drive to 4 different stores before I finally found 3 loaves left at one store. I was doing a happy dance in the aisle!)

First Layer:

1/3 of the Fish Mixture
1/2 cup seeded and diced red pepper
2 green onions, diced
2 Tbsp minced fresh dillweed (I used dried dill an instead of fresh and it still turned out great).

Second Layer:

1/3 of the Fish Mixture
1 pkg (10 oz/300 g) frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
2 Tbsp minced fresh basil or parsley (I used Dill again here)

Third Layer: 

1/3 of the Fish Mixture
1 medium sweet potato, cooked and mashed (or 1 cup cooked mashed carrots)
1 Tbsp minced fresh dillweed or parsley

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray two 9- × 5-inch loaf pans with cooking spray. (I used three – 8″ x 4″ Hefty EZ Foil Loaf Pans purchased at Wal-Mart. The loaves will pop right out after cooking for easy slicing)

2. Fish Mixture: In a large bowl, combine the gefilte fish mixture, eggs, salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Mix well. Divide the mixture in thirds and place in three separate bowls.

3. First Layer: Combine the fish mixture, red pepper, green onions, and dillweed; mix well. Divide in half and spread evenly in each prepared pan to make a first layer.

4. Second Layer: Combine the fish mixture, spinach, and basil; mix well. Divide in half and spread evenly in each pan to make a second layer.

5. Third Layer: Combine the fish mixture, sweet potato, and dillweed; mix well. Divide in half and spread evenly in each pan to make a third layer.

6. Bake, uncovered, for 1 hour. When done, the top layer should be firm to the touch and the edges should pull away from the sides of the pan. Remove from oven and cool for 20 to 30 minutes.

Yield: 2 loaves, 16 to 20 servings. (I made 3 slighly smaller loaves so I’d have one for each email I’m hosting).

Horseradish Sauce Recipe

Ingredients

2 tablespoons prepared horseradish
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
1 teaspoon dry mustard
3 tablespoons reduced-fat mayonnaise
1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper
1/2 cup nonfat sour cream (I use ToFutti sour supreme Kosher Parve)