Happy 5771! As the sun sets on Long Island, the celebration of Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, begins and will continue through sundown on Friday.

Israeli Abraham Ribak blows a shofar, a musical instrument used in Jewish religious ceremonies made from the horn of a Ram, as he tests it in his workshop in Tel Aviv, Sunday, Sept. 5, 2010. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit)

The holiday is a time to celebrate the creation of man and the relationship between the human and the divine. To reflect and honor the holiday, traditionally, no work is to be done during the two days.

As with most holidays, food is very much a big part of the Jewish New Year. Many celebrate by eating apples, symbolic of the original sin, honey, in hopes of having a sweet year to come and, of course, kosher wine. But for those marking Rosh Hashanah with a seder, or celebratory meal, there is no shortage of symbolism-laden meals to choose from—some healthier than others.

What follows are a few select recipes for the occasion:

CHALLAH BREAD APPLE SUMMER PUDDINGS
Start to finish: 50 minutes (20 minutes active)
Servings: 8
8 teaspoons sugar
20 very thin slices challah bread
4 cups peeled and grated Golden Delicious apples (about 4 to 5 large apples)
1 cup apple butter
1/2 cup golden raisins
2 tablespoons honey
2 teaspoons grated lemon zest (about 1 lemon)
Heat the oven to 400 F. Lightly coat eight 6-ounce custard cups or other ramekins with cooking spray. Add 1 teaspoon of sugar to each cup and swirl to coat the inside.

Challah bread apple summer pudding is seen in this Aug. 23, 2010 photo. This recipe uses the traditional ingredients in a healthy and creative way such as replacing the usual stick of butter with natural apple butter. (AP Photo/Larry Crowe)Lay 8 slices of the bread on a work surface. With a cookie cutter or a small glass, cut out 8 circles of bread just large enough to fit in the bottoms of the custard cups. Trim the crusts from the remaining 12 slices of bread, then cut the slices into rectangles or squares. Use the pieces to line the sides of the ramekins, overlapping slightly to completely line the sides. Set aside.In a bowl, stir together the apples, apple butter, raisins, honey and lemon zest. Spoon the mixture into the bread-lined cups. Press the filling down into the cups, smoothing the tops. Set the puddings on a baking sheet and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the bread is lightly browned on the sides and bottom. Run a knife around the inside of each cup and invert onto dessert plates. Serve warm.Nutrition information per serving (values are rounded to the nearest whole number): 461 calories; 57 calories from fat (12 percent of total calories); 6 g fat (2 g saturated; o g trans fats); 51 mg cholesterol; 93 g carbohydrate; 10 g protein; 6 g fiber; 501 mg sodium CHICKEN BREASTS WITH CIDER, SPICES, AND CARAMELIZED APPLESStart to finish: 50 minutesServings: 61?4 cup dark raisins1?4 cup golden raisins1?2 cup Madeira or port wine1/2 cup water6 split chicken breasts (with skin)1 tablespoon five-spice powder (divided)2 teaspoons coarse sea salt, plus more to tasteGround black pepper7 tablespoons unsalted butter (divided)3 Granny Smith apples, peeled (with peels reserved), cored and cut lengthwise into eighths2 tablespoons all-purpose flour3?4 cup apple cider2 cups chicken stock1?4 cup honeyJuice of 1?2 lemon2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf Italian parsley1 tablespoon candied orange peelIn a small saucepan, combine the dark and golden raisins, wine, and water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat; remove from heat and let stand for 20 minutes, or until the raisins are fully plumped. Meanwhile, heat the oven to 450 F.Season the chicken breasts with 1 1?2 teaspoons of the five-spice powder, 2 teaspoons of salt and black pepper to taste.In a large, ovenproof saute pan, melt 3 tablespoons of the butter over medium-high heat. Place the chicken breasts, skin side down, in the pan and cook until well browned and most of the fat has cooked out of the skin, about 5 minutes. Turn the breasts over and pour off any excess fat. This Aug. 23, 2010 photo shows chicken breasts with cider, spices and caramelized apples. With apples speaking to the desire for a sweet year to come this dish is both meaningful and tasty for Rosh Hashana. (AP Photo/Larry Crowe)

Add the apple peels to the pan, slipping them under the chicken breasts. Place the pan in the oven and bake until the chicken breasts are opaque throughout, about 18 minutes, or until a thermometer inserted at the thicket part reads 165 F. Transfer the breasts to a warmed serving platter and cover to keep warm. Leave the apple peels in the pan.
Dust the apple peels with flour. Cook over medium heat, stirring often, for 5 minutes. Pour in the cider and deglaze the pan, stirring to dislodge any bits stuck to the pan bottom. Cook until the liquid is reduced by half, about 5 minutes. Add the stock, bring to a boil, and decrease the heat to medium so the liquid simmers gently.
In a second saute pan over medium-high heat, melt 3 more tablespoons of the butter over medium-high until the butter is brown and smells toasty, 2 to 3 minutes (do not allow it to burn). Add the apples, honey, lemon juice and the remaining 1 1?2 teaspoons five-spice powder. Sauté the apples, turning them as needed, until they are a rich, even brown color and are tender, 5 to 8 minutes. Season with pepper.
Pour any juice released from the chicken into the pan with the apples. Arrange the chicken on the platter and top with the caramelized apples. Drain off any liquid from the raisins and sprinkle the raisins on top of the chicken.
Add the remaining 1 tablespoon butter to the pan with the simmering liquid and stir until melted. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Pour the sauce through a fine-mesh sieve over the chicken and apples. Garnish with the parsley and candied orange peel.
Nutrition information per serving (values are rounded to the nearest whole number): 577 calories; 250 calories from fat (44 percent of total calories); 28 g fat (13 g saturated; 1 g trans fats); 131 mg cholesterol; 43 g carbohydrate; 33 g protein; 3 g fiber; 840 mg sodium.
(Recipe adapted from “An Apple Harvest: Recipes & Orchard Lore” by Frank Browning and Sharon Silva, Ten Speed Press, 2010)

For more on Kosher wines, go to:

Kosher Wine Society, http://www.kosherwinesociety.com

http://www.royalwines.com/

http://www.carmelwines.co.il/en/aboutus.aspx

By Christine Smith, with Associated Press.