JIAS (Jewish Immigrant Aid Services) Toronto exists to promote and facilitate the lawful entry of Jewish refugees and immigrants into Toronto, Canada, working to advance the well-being of newcomers by providing a full range of outreach, support, counselling, training and referral resources, to help Jewish newcomers integrate into the Jewish Community of Greater Toronto and Canadian society at large. 

Services/programs include: Immigration information and referral, Advocacy and liaison to immigration authorities, Settlement and adaptation counselling, Orientation to Toronto and its Jewish Community, Financial assistance for those who are in need and are eligible, English as a Second Language Instruction, Social Support Groups, Community integration programming includes welcome events, "Family Matching" activities for children and teens, synagogue affiliation for Jewish holidays and more. The following recipes were contributed by Joanna Sasson Morrison. 

Menu:

• Cabbage Roll
• Stuffed Veal
• Cranberry Apple Cobbler
• Double Chocolate Biscotti

Cabbage Roll
There's a simple trick to prevent the phyllo dough from drying out: Open the package just before using, unroll the sheets, and lay them in a flat stack. Slightly dampen a kitchen towel and lay the towel over the stack. Remove phyllo sheets as needed, keeping remainder covered with towel.

Ingredients:

• 2 medium onions
• Oil to saut? onions
• 1 head white cabbage, shredded
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1 package phyllo dough
• 1/2 cup melted margarine, or cooking spray
• 1 egg white

Directions:

1. In large pot, saut? onions in oil until onions are soft, transulecent, and have just a hint of brown colour. Add cabbage, cover pot, and stir occasionally, until cabbage is cooked through and soft. Add sugar, salt, and pepper and mix well.

2. Place a large sheet of parchment paper in front of you. Lay a sheet of phyllo dough on parchment paper (Place it the long way in front of you). Brush with melted margarine or cooking spray. Continue layering sheets of phyllo and brushing with margarine or cooking spray until you have a stack of 4 sheets.

3. Spread 5 heaping tablespoons of cabbage across phyllo, about 2 inches from bottom edge (Use a slotted spoon to transfer cabbage from pot to phyllo sheets, draining as much liquid as possible from the cabbage). Pick up all layers of phyllo together from bottom edge, lay it over cabbage, and roll until you get to top edge. Rest the roll seam side down on parchment paper. You will have enough cabbage to make 3-4 rolls.

4. Transfer the cabbage roll with the parchment paper to a baking sheet. Brush top of each cabbage roll with egg white. With sharp knife, slice cabbage rolls on the diagonal. Slices should be about 3/4 - 1-inch wide. Keep slices close together to prevent filling from oozing out. Bake at 350? F for 30-40 minutes, until top is golden.

Tips: For an elegant presentation - Lay 2-3 lettuce leaves on each individual plate. Lay 1 slice of cabbage roll in centre, and place a 2nd slice at a 90? angle, resting part of it on top of first slice.
Unless you're having a large dinner party, you won't need all the cabbage roll at once. This dish freezes well in an airtight container.

Stuffed Veal
Guests are always impressed by this and seem to think it's complicated to make, but it's actually quite easy!

Ingredients:

• 1 breast of veal or veal shoulder (Ask your butcher to make a pocket for you)
• 1 box farfel stuffing mix
• Soy sauce
• Garlic powder

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350. Prepare the farfel according to the package directions.

2. Fill the veal pocket with the cooked farfel stuffing. Rub veal all over with soy sauce and garlic powder. Cook at 350? F covered for 1 hour, then uncovered for 20-30 minutes, until the top gets a little bit of golden colour. 

Tips: It's easier to slice if you let the meat rest a while first. Slice and platter in the kitchen, spooning the pan juices over the veal. If the stuffing separates from the veal while slicing, you'll easily be able to put it back into the slices.

Cranberry Apple Cobbler
This dish offers a nice contrast between tart and sweet. Growing up in the US, this was a traditional Thanksgiving side dish. it quickly became a favourite, and was served at other times too.

Ingredients:

• 1 package cranberries
• 2 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and diced
• 3/4 cup white sugar

Topping:

• 1 1/2 cups oatmeal (uncooked)
• 1/3 cup flour
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup melted margarine
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350? F. Grease an oven-safe 8-inch square or 9-inch round dish. Mix cranberries, apples, and white sugar together. Place in an even layer in baking dish.

2. Mix all the topping ingredients together. Spoon the topping on top of the cranberry mixture. Use the back of a large wooden spoon or your hands to spread the topping in an even layer. Bake at 350? F for 45-60 minutes, until the cranberries burst and the top has turned golden.

Double Chocolate Biscotti
Our parents' generation referred to cookies baked in loaves as mandelbrot. Our generation thinks it is much more chic to refer them as biscotti.

Ingredients:

• 3/4 stick margarine, at room temperature
• 1 cup sugar + 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 cups flour
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp salt
• 6 oz chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350? F. Cream the margarine and 1 cup of the sugar, until well blended. Add the eggs and beat well. Add flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt. Mix well until everything is incoroporated. Add chocolate chips; stir until even distributed.

2. Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper. Divide the cookie dough into 2 equal portions. Place each portion of dough on a cookie sheet. Shape each one into a loaf about 3 inches wide. Bake at 350? F for approximately 25-30 minutes, until centre is firm and edges are getting the first touch of golden colour. Remove from oven; cool 5 minutes.

3. Slice on diagonal into approximately 1/2 inch slices. Lay each slice of biscotti flat on the baking sheet. Return each sheet to the oven to toast biscotti -  Bake for a total of 8 more minutes. Place one cookie sheet on the top shelf and one on the bottom. After 4 minutes switch the sheets so that the top and bottom of each biscotti slice gets toasted. (Note: I find that toasting the biscotti makes it too hard. After the first baking, I let the sliced biscotti sit out for an hour. As the slices cool, they will harden some more.)

4. When biscotti are cool, place a half a cup of sugar in a large Ziploc bag. Place several biscotti in the bag at a time and gently shake to give each slice a light dusting of sugar.

Tips: These can be stored for a long time in an air-tight container and they freeze well.