Tzimmis, or tsimmis is a traditional Ashkenazi Jewish dish made with root vegetables and dried fruits.

I’m not Jewish, and I honestly don’t even remember how I came first came upon this dish, but it has been one of my favorites ever since. One of the best things about it is the incredible mix and match potential. You really can’t mess this one up!

This particular recipe uses butternut squash, carrots and apples, but once you try it, you will see how easy it is to switch things up. You can use sweet potatoes or yams or any other root vegetable. You can also use pears instead of apples or leave them out entirely. And throw in any dried fruit including raisins, apricots, cherries, dried apples, cranberries pineapple, prunes…really its up to you and your imagination!

Its also a great dish to get the kids in on too. Not the chopping part of course, but you can have them pick out the root vegetables and the dried fruit they want to use. Then they can mix everything together in a bowl and pour it out onto the baking sheet.

I’ve found that the versions of this dish are endless and every family has their own favorite combination, so play around. You can never eat too many veggies!

Butternut Squash, Carrot, and Apple Tzimmis

Ingredients:

2 cups butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1/4 inch cubes

1/2 cup carrots, small diced (about 1 large carrot)

1 cups apple small dice (2 small)

1 ½ Tablespoon oil

3 Tablespoons juice (orange, apple, pineapple)

½ cup dried cranberries

¼ c maple syrup

1 teaspoon cinnamon

¼ teaspoon sea salt

pinch nutmeg

Procedure:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking parchment paper or a silpat.

In a large bowl, toss all ingredients then turn out onto a baking sheet.

Bake in oven, turning once or twice, until vegetables are tender, and syrup is sticky. About 20-30 minutes.

Enjoy!