Roasted Fruit Cocktail

Roasted Fruit Cocktail

After a huge Passover Seder meal (or any big dinner), Roasted Fruit Cocktail is an excellent choice for dessert. Roasting brings out the fruit sugars in a tantalizing way with hints of rum and molasses. The chopped mint adds color and a really fresh, perky finish.

ROASTED FRUIT COCKTAIL

• 1 ripe fresh pineapple

• 2 fresh mangos

• 3/4 cup orange juice

• 1/4 cup honey

• cinnamon

• 18-20 strawberries, hulls removed

• 1 cup seedless red grapes

• 1/4 cup chopped fresh mint

• sorbet or ice cream, optional

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Line a jelly roll sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.Remove the leaves and hard outer shell of the pineapple. Cut the pineapple lengthwise into 1-inch thick strips. Discard the fibrous core. Place the remaining strips on the parchment-lined jelly roll pan. Peel the mango and cut the flesh into strips. Set aside. Place the orange juice and honey in a saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Lower the heat slightly and cook for 5-6 minutes or until the liquid is slightly thickened. Generously brush all surfaces of the pineapple strips with the orange juice mixture. Sprinkle with cinnamon. Roast for 4-5 minutes. Turn the strips over. Add the mango strips, strawberries and grapes to the pan. Brush with the remaining orange juice mixture. Roast for another 6-7 minutes or until fruit is soft and lightly caramelized. Remove the pan from the oven and let cool. Cut the pineapple and mango strips into bite size pieces. Place all the fruit and accumulated pan juices in a bowl, sprinkle with the mint and toss. Place into serving dishes. Serve plain or with sorbet or ice cream.

Makes 8 servings

Khoshaf for Passover

Khoshaf

My grandma always cooked stewed dried fruit and I always associated that particular dish with her generation of Ashkenazi Jewish grandmas.

But, several years ago when Ed and I were in Egypt I noticed what looked like grandma’s “dried fruit compote” on every hotel breakfast buffet.

It wasn’t compote though. It was a dish called Khoshaf and apparently is a specialty served to break the Ramadan fast (and at lots of other times too). It is made with dried fruit, like compote, but it isn’t stewed! The fruit is steeped in a sweet, boiling syrupy liquid so it stays firm and pleasantly chewy. I took one taste and was hooked! I still make stewed fruit compote sometimes but other times I have a yen for khoshaf. It’s a special treat and perfect for Passover.

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KHOSHAF

• 1-1/2 cups water

• 1 cup apricot nectar (or orange juice, peach juice, white grape juice, etc)

• 1/4 cup (or more or less to taste) sugar

• 1 tablespoon orange flower water, rosewater or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract or 1/2 lemon or orange cut into quarters

• 1 cup dried apricots

• 1 cup prunes or dried plums

• 1 cup dried figs, halved or quaretred, depending on size

• 1 cup raisins

• chopped pistachio nuts

Combine the water, apricot nectar and sugar in a saucepan. Bring to a boil and stir until sugar dissolves. Cook for 4-5 minutes or until slightly syrupy. Remove from the heat and stir in the flavoring. Pour over the fruit and toss ingredients. Let rest for at least one hour, tossing the ingredients occasionally. Sprinkle with nuts and serve.

Makes 6-8 servings

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

Dairy Hamantaschen

Dairy Hamantaschen

If you follow a food calendar the way I do, you know it’s hamantaschen season.

I don’t understand why we wait for Purim to eat these magnificent pastries. Sure, they’re classic for this holiday, but I like them in June and October and any given Sunday.

Anyway, here’s one of my favorite recipes. There’s a recipe for prune lekvar on my website. For apricot lekvar: put about one pound dried apricots (I use California apricots because I think the Turkish or Mediterranean ones don’t have good flavor) in a pot, add about 1/4 cup sugar and cover with orange juice. Simmer for about 25 minutes or until soft, then puree.

DAIRY HAMANTASCHEN

• 2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour

• 1/4 cup sugar

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 1 cup butter, cut into chunks

• 8 ounces cream cheese, cut into chunks

• 1 large egg, beaten

• lekvar (about one cup)

Place the flour, sugar and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer and mix briefly. Add the butter and cream cheese and mix on low speed for a minute or so until the mixture is crumbly. Raise the speed to medium and continue to mix until a smooth dough has formed. Wrap the dough in plastic and refrigerate for at least 8 hours. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Using small chunks of dough at a time, roll the dough thin (about 1/8th-inch) and cut out circles with a 3-inch cookie cutter. Brush each circle lightly with the beaten egg. Place one slightly mounded teaspoon of lekvar in the middle of each circle. Bring up the sides to shape the circles into a triangle. Press the sides tightly to keep them from opening when they bake. Place the triangles on a lightly greased cookie sheet. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. Bake for about 30 minutes or until lightly browned.

Makes about 36

#hamantaschen #purim #purim2025 #lekvar

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

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Latkes with What?

Potato Latkes with Lemongrass Yogurt Sauce

I recently read a social media post discussing the age-old argument about whether you should eat potato latkes with sour cream or apple sauce. The post didn’t take sides, in fact, what it essentially said was “why fight! There are too many important things to fight about. Eat whatever you like with latkes.”

I agree completely.

Sour cream, yogurt, applesauce? Fine.

Salsa? Hot sauce? Guacamole! If you wish!

Ketchup? Sure, but please don’t tell me.

Have it your way!

Here’s a latke dip we love. It’s made with plain yogurt mixed with freshly minced lemongrass and a melange of flavors including mint and chili pepper. It’s a nice change for potato latkes. Try it!

LEMONGRASS YOGURT SAUCE

• 1 cup plain Greek-style yogurt

• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint

• 1 scallion, finely chopped

• 2 teaspoons finely chopped lemongrass

• 1/2 teaspoon finely chopped chili pepper

• 1-1/2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger

• 1/2 teaspoon grated fresh lime peel

• 2 tablespoons lime juice

• salt

Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and mix thoroughly to distribute them evenly. Let rest for 15 minutes before serving. Makes about one cup

#potatolatkes #potato #latkes #Hanukkah #Hanukkah2024 #chanukah #chanukah2024

Mujadara, the answer to Vegetarian Thanksgiving

Our Thanksgiving feast has the usual turkey, stuffing, cranberry something-or-other and so on. But I also serve at least one vegetarian main course, usually some version of Mujadara, made with either bulgur wheat, kaniwa or brown rice. It’s a simple dish, everyone loves it and I can make it ahead. Over the years I learned it’s best to cook the onions in advance so they get nice and soft and the savory oniony liquid leaches out perfectly to moisten the grains. Here is the recipe - make all the parts ahead, put it together later and reheat to serve:

BROWN RICE MUJADARA

• 1/2 cup olive oil

• 5-6 large yellow onions, peeled and sliced

• 1 cup brown rice

• water or stock

• 1 cup lentils

• 1 teaspoon ground cumin, optional

• 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley

• salt to taste

Heat 4 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large sauté pan over low-medium heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 15 minutes or until the onions are soft and brown. Spoon the onions into a container and cover the container. Refrigerate when cool if not serving the dish immediately. Place the rice in a saucepan, cover with 2 cups water or stock, bring to a boil, stir and cover the pan. Turn the heat to low and cook for about 30 minutes or until tender. Spoon the rice into a bowl. While the rice is cooking, place the lentils in a saucepan and cover with water or stock. Bring to a boil over high heat. Lower the heat, cover the pan and cook for about 25 minutes or until tender. Drain and add to the rice. Stir in the remaining 4 tablespoons olive oil. Add the cumin, if used and the parsley. Toss the ingredients. Add salt to taste. If serving immediately, stir in the onions with any accumulated juices, mix and serve. If serving at a later time, add the onions and juices, place in an ovenproof casserole and reheat, covered, in a preheated 350F degree oven (about 25 minutes).

Makes 6 servings

Turkey Breast Southwest Style

If you think the recent election showed how petty politics can be, believe me, the squabbles over nonsense are nothing new. Take Thanksgiving. In 1939, it was on the last Thursday in November. But retailers wanted to have more days for Christmas shopping so they convinced president FDR to change the date to the 4th Thursday. Republicans refused to comply with a Democratic president's plan! GOP states continued to celebrate on the last Thursday and for years there were two Thanksgivings!

Even after a joint resolution of Congress, some states refused to comply. It wasn't until 1957 that every state celebrated on the 4th Thursday. The last holdout was Texas.

Mmmmm.

I am happy to celebrate this coming Thanksgiving with everyone else on the 28th, the 4th Thursday. So, with a wink and a nod to Texas, here's a recipe for Southwest style turkey breast for those who don't want to roast a whole turkey on Thanksgiving or any other time. (If you do, double the seasonings and juice).

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Turkey Breast, Southwest Style

1 half turkey breast about 3 pounds

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 cloves garlic, mashed

2 teaspoons chopped fresh oregano

1 teaspoon chili powder

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 cup apricot or orange juice

salt if desired

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Rinse and dry the turkey and place it skin side up in a roasting pan. Combine the olive oil, garlic, oregano, chili powder, cumin, and cayenne pepper and brush the turkey with this mixture. Sprinkle with salt if desired. Place the turkey in the oven and immediately reduce the heat to 350 degrees. Roast for 20 minutes. Pour the juice over the turkey. Roast for another 40-65 minutes, basting occasionally, or until a meat thermometer stuck into the thickest part of the breast reads 160 degrees. Remove the turkey from the oven and let rest for about 15 minutes before carving.

Makes 4 servings.

#turkey breast#southwest style turkey breast#roasted turkey breast#thanksgiving#thanksgiving 2024#thanksgiving turkey

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Grandma's Baked Blintzes

One of my grandma’s signature dishes was blintzes. But the cheese filling she made was different than the classic sweet version (with vanilla and/or cinnamon). Her blintz filling was lemony, and included cheese, egg and a small amount of sugar. Also, because there were so many of us, she had no time to fry them a couple at a time and still have everyone eat at the same time. So she placed the blintzes, seam-side down, on a baking sheet, topped each with a little dab of butter, and baked them until they were golden brown. I still love blintzes, lemony and baked. And so does my family. Grandma’s cheese filling recipe is below, but the instructions give you the option to make the more popular vanilla version (and also how to fry them). Don’t worry if the wrappers don’t fry into perfect circles — you’re going to roll them and if they’re a little off, no one will ever know.

GRANDMA’s CHEESE BLINTZ FILLING:
1 pound farmer’s cheese
1 large egg
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon grated fresh lemon zest, optional (I always include)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract, optional

Place the cheese, egg, sugar and lemon juice in a bowl and mix thoroughly. Add the lemon zest OR vanilla extract and mix in thoroughly. To fill each wrapper: use the first fried side as the inside of the blintz. Use about 2 tablespoons of filling for an 8-inch wrapper and place the filling in the center of the wrapper. Fold the bottom side up, over the filling. Fold the left side, then the right side over the filling, then roll up to enclose the filling. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place the blintzes in a single layer on a jelly roll pan, top each with a tiny piece of butter. Bake for about 10 minutes.

To fry: place the blintzes seam side down first over medium heat (using the same method as for frying the wrappers – let the butter melt and become foamy).

#blintzes #cheeseblintzes #shavuot #shavuot2024 #shavuos