Rosh Hashanah begins at sundown on September 24th 2014. If you celebrate this holiday, you may want to serve some of these vegan dishes from The Lowfat Jewish Vegetarian Cookbook, by Debra Wasserman. This book is available from The Vegetarian Resource Group online at http://www.vrg.org/catalog/ or by sending $21 (including postage/handling) to Vegetarian Resource Group, PO Box 1463, Baltimore, MD 21203.

Yemenite Bread Salad
(Serves 10)

6 small whole wheat pita breads
1 pound romaine lettuce, torn into bite-size pieces
2 scallions, finely chopped
1 cucumber, peeled and chopped into cubes
2 ripe tomatoes, chopped into cubes
½ cup fresh parsley, minced
1 Tablespoon dried mint
2 Tablespoons lemon juice
¼ cup olive oil
1 chili pepper, finely chopped (optional)

Cut pita bread into bite-size pieces and toast in a toaster oven for a few minutes. Toss lettuce, scallions, cucumber, tomato, parsley, and mint in a large bowl. Add lemon juice and olive oil. Toss again. Add toasted bread right before serving and toss one more time.

Carrot Cutlets
(Serves 6)

2 cups cooked brown rice or millet
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 Tablespoon finely chopped fresh parsley
1 cup carrots, cooked and mashed (use about 3 raw carrots)
1 Tablespoon water or soymilk
2 Tablespoons cornstarch
¾ cup wheat germ
2 Tablespoons oil

Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl, except for the oil. Form 12 small patties.
Heat oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Fry cutlets for 5 minutes or until brown on one side. Flip over and continue frying for another 5 minutes. Serve cutlets warm, 2 per serving. These can be served with an onion or mushroom sauce if you prefer.

Variation: Instead of frying the cutlets, you can bake them on a lightly oiled pan at 425 degrees until brown on one side. Flip the cutlets and continue baking 5 minutes longer.

Bulgur Pilaf
(Serves 6)

1 large onion, finely chopped
2 teaspoons oil
2 cups bulgur (cracked wheat)
5 cups water
1 teaspoon coriander
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon cinnamon
¼ cup slivered almonds
1 cup dried apricots, chopped
1 cup raisins
Salt and pepper to taste

Stir-fry onion with oil in a large pot for 3 minutes. Add remaining ingredients, cover pot, and cook over medium heat for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove pot from stove and allow dish to sit covered 5 minutes. Mix ingredients well, pour into a serving dish, and serve while still warm.