Golden Beet Salad with Horseradish Vinaigrette

Golden Beet Salad

I usually make beet salad with red beets but the golden beets at the market looked so good I used them instead.

Same thing, different color. It’s all good.

Keep this in mind for Passover. You’re probably going to have some horseradish in the fridge.

Golden Beet Salad with Horseradish Vinaigrette

• 3 medium golden beets

• 3 cups packed baby arugula

• 1/2 cup chopped red onion

• 1-1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill

• 1 tablespoon freshly grated white horseradish

• 3 tablespoons avocado oil or olive oil

• 2-3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

• salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Scrub and trim the beets, cutting away the greens, if any. Wrap the beets tightly in aluminum foil and roast for about one hour or until the beets are tender. Remove the packet from the oven, open the foil and let the beets cool. Peel the beets, cut them into bite-size pieces and place in a bowl. Add the arugula, red onion, dill and horseradish and toss the ingredients. Pour in the olive oil and 2 tablespoons of the cider vinegar and toss the ingredients. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Let rest for 10-15 minutes before serving. Taste and add more vinegar if needed.

Makes 4-6 servings

Spanakopitas/Bourekas

I used to make spanakopitas but it was really labor intensive. You have to butter several layers of phyllo dough, which is thin and fragile and breaks apart a lot.

Frustrating!

One day I decided it was enough! From then on I used the same delicious filling but made it into one big spinach pie. Much easier.

Then, last year I read a post by Dana L Shrager that included her recipe for spinach and cheese bourekas wrapped in puff pastry. She said it was a real treat for Purim.

Genius!

Bourekas are triangle shape, just like spanakopitas but SO MUCH EASIER to prepare. So, for Purim, here’s my recipe, same filling as I used for the spanakopitas but inside puff pastry. Perfect for Purim.

Thanks for the inspiration Dana!

SPINACH AND CHEESE BOUREKAS

• 1 10-ounce package frozen chopped spinach, thawed

• 2 tablespoons olive oil

• 1 medium onion, chopped

• 1 large egg

• 4 ounces feta cheese, crumbled

• 3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

• 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh dill

• freshly ground black pepper to taste

• 2 sheets puff pastry, defrosted

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Squeeze as much water out of the spinach as possible and set aside. Heat the olive oil in a saute pan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 2-3 minutes. Stir in the spinach and mix well. Remove the pan from the heat. Add the egg, feta cheese, Parmesan cheese, dill and pepper. Mix well and set aside. Using one sheet at a time, roll the puff pastry on a lightly floured board slightly thinner (I did 12”x9”). Cut each sheet on the long side into 4 equal strips (3”). Cut the strips into thirds (making 12 pieces). Place equal amounts of the filling in the center of each piece of dough. Fold the dough to enclose the filling and make a triangle. Press the edges to seal them. If necessary, wet the edges of the pieces before folding, OR, press the edges down with the tines of a fork. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before baking. Bake for about 15-18 minutes or until browned and crispy.

Makes 24

Sausage Stuffed Mushrooms

Over the years I’ve realized that although people do appreciate fancy and lovely looking foods, when it comes to certain occasions, such as the Super Bowl, what they really want is plain, simple and familiar: chicken wings, chips and dip, salsa, nachos, franks-in-blankets. Stuff like that.

Here’s a favorite recipe for Stuffed Mushrooms: easy to make (and in advance!), unintimidating and perfect for game day.

STUFFED MUSHROOMS

• 14-16 large white mushrooms

• 3 tablespoons olive oil

• 4 ounces sweet Italian-style sausage meat, finely chopped

• 2-3 scallions, chopped

• 1 clove garlic, minced

• 2 tablespoons plain dry bread crumbs

• 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves

• 1/4 cup stock (any kind)

• salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Rinse and dry the mushrooms. Remove the stems, chop them, and set them aside. Brush the outside of the caps with one tablespoon of the olive oil. Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil in a sauté pan over medium heat. Add the sausage and cook for 3-4 minutes. Add the scallions, garlic and chopped mushroom stems. Cook for 2-3 minutes, or until the meat is well browned. Add the bread crumbs and thyme and mix the ingredients thoroughly. Pour in the stock and cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture is thickened. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Spoon equal amounts of the mixture inside the mushroom caps. Mix ingredients well and use the mixture to stuff each mushroom cap. Place the filled caps on the baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes or until hot and crispy.

Makes 14-16

Naan Pizzas with Peas

Ed and I always host New Years Eve for our cousins and my brother and sister-in-law. It’s been a long long family tradition and years ago we all realized that we would rather have a day of nibbles rather than a sit down dinner. So we have one round at about 2:00 and another in the evening. (Dessert much later.) Works for us. I always try some new recipe or two but also serve some old favorites. One that we always like are Naan Vegetable Pizzas. There are a couple of versions on this website, all similar but it always depends on what’s on hand in my house. Recently I didn’t have cooked carrots and cauliflower but I did have some frozen peas! Made these easy hors d’oeuvres even easier! Go for it! Everyone loved it at our New Year’s feast.

Naan Vegetable Pizzas with Peas

• 2 Naan breads

• 1/2 cup Mango chutney

• 1/2 cup peas

• 1 teaspoon curry powder

• 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

• 1/4 cup grated Gouda cheese

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Place the two Naan breads on the cookie sheet. Spread equal amounts of the chutney on each bread. Scatter the peas on top. Sprinkle with the curry powder. Scatter the mozzarella cheese and Gouda cheese over the vegetables. Bake for about 15 minutes or until the vegetables are hot, the cheese has melted and pizzas look toasty. Cut into pieces and serve. Makes about 16-18 pieces

#naan #naanpizza #newyear2025 #horsdoeuvres

All reactions:

13Sue Freedland, Dana L Shrager and 11 others

Summer Salad with Blueberries

Whether it’s the hot weather or a meatless Monday, a good salad always comes in handy. This is one of my summer favorites:

BLUE SALAD (WITH GREEN)

1 head leaf lettuce or 6 cups mixed greens
1 cup blueberries
1 cup crumbled blue cheese
3 tablespoons chopped chives or scallion tops
1/3 cup olive oil (or use avocado oil)
3-4 tablespoons Balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup chopped toasted almonds, optional
Tear the lettuce into smaller pieces and place them in a salad bowl. Add the blueberries, cheese and chives and toss the ingredients. Pour in the olive oil and toss the ingredients again. Add 3 tablespoons of the Balsamic vinegar, toss and taste, add more Balsamic vinegar to taste. Serve and garnish with the toasted almonds if desired.

Makes 4-6 servings

Smoked Salmon Tartare

Are you watching the presidential debate tonight? It might be a circus. It might be frustrating. It might be maddening. But noshing on a few goodies (and maybe a drink) will help your mood! Try these:

SMOKED SALMON “TARTARE”

1/4 pound smoked salmon pieces
2 tablespoons finely chopped red onion
1-2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
a few drops of olive oil
few drops of lemon juice
Crackers

Chop the smoked salmon. Add the red onion and dill and mix thoroughly. Sprinkle in a few drops of olive oil and lemon juice and mix. For a dairy hors d’oeuvre, spread the crackers with cream cheese, sour cream, crème fraiche or mascarpone cheese. Top with some of the salmon mixture. (Or place a small spoonful of sour cream, etc. on top of the salmon). For a parve hors d’oeuvre, place the salmon mixture directly on the crackers

Makes 16-24

Pierogies for a Delicious Dairy Dinner

After Father’s Day (heavy on the meat), I want a dairy dinner. These pierogies! One of my favorite meals. POTATO CHEESE PIEROGIS
FILLING:
3 cups mashed potatoes
2 tablespoons butter
1 large onion, chopped
1 cup farmer cheese
salt and black pepper to taste
Place the potatoes in a bowl. Heat the butter in a sauté pan over medium heat. When the butter melts, add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, for 12-15 minutes or until soft and golden. Add to the potatoes. Add the farmer cheese, salt and pepper and mix well. Set aside to cool. Use about one tablespoon filling for each pierogi. DOUGH: 3-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup butter, cut into chunks
1/2 cup water, approximately
1 cup dairy sour cream Place the flour and salt in a bowl. Add the butter and work it into the dough until crumbly. Add 1/2 cup of water and the sour cream and mix the dough until it is soft and well blended. If it seems too dry, add more water. (Or use a food processor.) Let the dough rest at least 30 minutes. Roll portions of dough on a floured surface to 1/8-inch thick and cut out circles with a 3-inch cookie cutter. To fill the pierogis: place filling in the center of each circle. Fold the circle in half, pinching the edges to seal. Heat 1 tablespoon butter plus 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in a sauté pan over medium heat. When the butter melts, add some of the pierogis (do not crowd the pan) and cook 3-4 minutes on the flat side, or until golden brown on the bottom, then turn them over and cook another 2-3 minutes or until golden. Repeat. Serve with sour cream. Makes about 4 dozen #pierogies #cheesepierogi #potatopierogies
#dairydinner

Roasted Asparagus with Zatar

When I was a kid, vegetables were always boiled (usually to death) and served with a pat of butter or margarine and it was no wonder that most people hated them.

We’ve learned a lot since then.

Whether you steam, poach or roast them, it’s incredibly easy to dress up any vegetable and make it a delicious side dish or even the star of your dinner.

Like this:

Roasted Asparagus with Zatar

• 1 pound medium-thick asparagus

• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

• 1 clove garlic, finely chopped, optional

• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

• 2 tablespoons lemon juice

• 1 teaspoon zatar

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Trim the ends of each asparagus spear. Rinse and dry the spears and place them on a rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle the olive oil on top and scatter the optional garlic on top. Roll the spears to coat each one. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast the asparagus for about 10-15 minutes or until tender. Drizzle with the lemon juice, sprinkle with zatar and serve.

NOTE: these are fine whether served hot or at room temperature.

Makes 4-6 servings

How to Cook Hard Cooked Eggs

Hard cooked eggs

Do all your hard cooked eggs peel perfectly so they all look glorious at your Seder? I’ve made thousands of hard cooked eggs over a lifetime and although I’ve followed the “foolproof” advice of experts in the media (including making a hole at one end of the egg; cooking the eggs starting with cold water instead of immersing them into boiling water; steaming them, etc.) sometimes the shell is difficult to peel and the eggs look battered.

So here is my “expert advice,” the method that for me, has yielded the highest percentage of Seder-worthy eggs:

1. If possible, use eggs that are at least two weeks before you need to cook them. With time, the shell begins to separate from the insides, making the eggs easier to peel

2. Remove the eggs from the fridge at least an hour before cooking

3. Bring the water to a boil before adding the eggs, then gently spoon the eggs into the water, wait for a second boil, lower the heat and simmer (NOT boil) for 10 minutes. This is for size large eggs; extra-large and jumbo need slightly more time

4. After 10 minutes, immediately drain the water and add ice cubes and cold water to the pot

5. Crack the eggs in several places. One part of the shell may be easier as a starting point, usually the larger rounded bottom

6. Always make more eggs than you need because while this method is the best of more than a dozen other methods that I’ve tried, it seems that no matter how much of an expert you are and no matter how much advice you follow, the shells might not always peel off so well. Nobody really cares, of course. The Seder is not about the eggs

Want to add: don't rush! Sometimes you have to take off tiny pieces!

Chag Pesach Sameach

Mushroom Chips

It doesn’t get easier than this: one of the hors d’oeuvre I’ll be serving on New Year’s Eve.

Mushroom chips

• 4 large king oyster mushrooms

• 3 tablespoons olive oil

• kosher salt or sea salt

• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Slice the mushrooms about 1/8-inch thick. Place the mushrooms on a parchment lined baking sheet. Brush both sides with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and thyme. Roast for about 20 minutes, turning them over after the first 10 minutes.

Makes 4 servings