Category: Snacks

Chocolate Dipped Pretzel Rods


I figured since we just passed Purim Katan, and shalach manos giving is right around the corner, I should share some shalach manos ideas. Two years ago, I made these yummy chocolate dipped pretzel sticks. A week or two before Purim, I started shopping for the ingredients. It’s lucky I did that, because for some reason, every single store was out of pretzel rods. I must have gone to every kosher supermarket in all the five boroughs until I found them. I bought so many bags that we were eating pretzel rods (sans coating) for the next couple of months!

To create these crunchy confections, I would recommend that you prepare a large working surface. This is a messy job! Make stations for the different coatings and cut sheets of wax paper to lay the pretzels. Make sure not to touch them until the chocolate has fully set. When you are done, you can mix up all the broken pretzels pieces with the leftover chocolate, sprinkles, nuts and nonpareils. Spread on a sheet of wax paper for an instant pretzel bark. That was the best part!

Crunchy Chocolate Dipped Pretzel Rods

Pretzel rods
Semi sweet real chocolate chips
White chocolate chips
Colored Sprinkles
Chocolate Sprinkles
Chopped nuts
Nonpareils
Small glass vases or cups

Melt bowls of black and white chocolate (separately) in a double boiler, or in the microwave. Set up bowls of toppings. Dip half the pretzel rod in chocolate, and then in the topping. Lay on wax paper. Once the pretzels have fully set, fill each vase with 5 different pretzel rods. To set them in place, fill the vase with chocolate chips. Tie with cellophane and deliver in costume to your grateful recipients!

Pretzels Pairings:
White chocolate with black sprinkles
White chocolate with nuts
White chocolate with nonpareils
Dark chocolate with colored sprinkles
Dark chocolate with nuts

Other optional toppings:

Toasted coconut
Peanut/Pistachio/Hazelnut brittle from Bakers Choice
Chocolate lentils
Colored sugar
Crushed peppermint candy
Chopped Viennese crunch

Pretzels Pairings:
White chocolate with black sprinkles
White chocolate with nuts
White chocolate with nonpareils
Dark chocolate with colored sprinkles
Dark chocolate with nuts

Other optional toppings:

Toasted coconut
Peanut/Pistachio/Hazelnut brittle from Bakers Choice
Chocolate lentils
Colored sugar
Crushed peppermint candy
Chopped Viennese crunch

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Roasted Garlic Hummus with Pita Chips

My husband is not much of a sports fan. He’s more of a computer fan, if you know what I mean. So, if not for my brother, I would have no idea that tomorrow is the big day for most men out there! That, and the fact that I wanted a crunchy, healthy snack tonight, is what brought me to make this delicious and healthy recipe. Chummus is available at any grocery, in so many flavors and styles. So why go through the hastle of making it? Well sometimes, I like the chunkiness of a purely garbanzo-based spread, sans the techina. That’s when I whip out some fresh garlic, a food processor, and of course some pita bread, for homemade toasted “everything” pita chips with roasted garlic hummus.

Roasted Garlic Hummus

1 can chickpeas
1 head of roasted garlic
1/8-1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil (plus more for garnish)
juice of 1/2 lemon
1/2 tsp salt
freshly ground black pepper
parsley and paprika for garnish

Method:

Drain and rinse chickpeas. Add to food processor. Add the cloves of a small head of roasted garlic. Add the lemon, salt and pepper. Start blending in the food processor, adding the olive oil slowly. Start with 1/8 cup and add more until you reach a creamy consistency. Spoon into serving dish. Drizzle with more olive oil and garnish with paprika and parsley.

For instructions on roasting garlic, click here.

Homemade Everything Pita Chips

Regular or whole wheat pita
Olive oil
Poppy seeds
Onion powder
Garlic powder
Kosher salt

Method:

Preheat oven to 400°F. Cut pita into eight triangles. Brush with olive oil. Sprinkle with poppy seeds, onion, garlic and salt. Bake for 10 minutes until toasted and crispy.

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Curry Chicken Salad

You all know how it plays out. We slave all Friday cooking, baking and preparing and no matter how much we seem to make, or how many guests we seem to invite, we always have leftovers! And then, when we try to serve it up on Sunday night, we get the rolling eyes, and the “_____ again!” (feel free to fill in the blank yourself :)) from around the dinner table. So, instead of serving up the same food, try to come up with ways to spruce it up and tweak it a bit. This week, I decided to turn my leftover Shabbos chicken into a yummy curry chicken salad! With grapes, celery, toasted almonds and a creamy curry dressing you’ll have everyone begging for more!

Curry Chicken Salad
adapted from a Paula Deen recipe

2-3 pieces of leftover chicken, skin removed, chopped into 1 inch pieces (I used bottoms)
1/2 cup seedless red grapes, halved
1/4 cup celery, diced small
handful of slivered almonds, toasted

Dressing:
1/4 cup mayo
1/2 tsp soy sauce
1 tsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp curry powder
1 tsp honey
1/4 tsp salt

Method:

To toast the almonds, put them in a 400 degree oven for 6-10 minutes, until browned. Combine chicken, grapes, celery and almonds in a bowl. Mix the dressing and pour over salad. Serve in lettuce cups or with bread.

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Strawberry Banana Yogurt Parfait with Homemade Granola


With Shabbos out on the early side these days, I’m always looking for ideas of something light (and milchigs!) to eat. I decided to go with a yogurt parfait tonight, with some homemade granola. This recipe is absolutely delicious and healthy! It’s slightly sweet, with just a bit of saltiness and oh so crunchy! A couple of years ago, I was in the supermarket looking for a good granola to buy. They seemed to be carrying a new Israeli variety, but I didn’t understand all of the ingredients. My (then) boss’s sister, who speaks fluent hebrew, was there, so I asked her to translate. Instead, she told me she had the perfect granola recipe, and emailed it to me later that day. It’s been my go-to recipe ever since! (Thanks Rikal!)

Homemade Granola

2 c old fashioned oats
1/2 c sliced or slivered almonds
1/4 c light brown sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
2-3 tbsp oil
2 tbsp honey
1 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 c raisins (optional)

Set your oven to 350F. Mix everything besides for the almonds and raisins together. Mix thoroughly, breaking up the brown sugar as you go. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Spread the mix on the cookie sheet. Bake for 20-30 minutes until just past golden brown, stirring every 5 or 10 minutes to prevent burning. Toast the almonds separately and let them cool down. Mix the almonds, raisins, and granola together. Cool the granola in dry open air on the same cookie sheet to crisp up. Store in an airtight container.

Serve with yogurt and fruit (vanilla or flavored with strawberries, blueberries, pomegranates…anything goes!)

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Dried Fruit Chutney

Today marks the 15th of the Hebrew month of Shvat, Tu B’shvat, which is the New Year for the trees. Traditionally, this day is celebrated by eating fruit, especially those that are known as the Seven Species (seven types of fruits and grains enumerated in the Bible as being special products of the Land of Israel). They include: Wheat, Barley, Grapes, Figs, Pomegranates, Olives and Dates. The following is a delicious recipe for mustard roasted fruits from The Low GI Diet Cookbook (a diet which I fully endorse, but that’s for another day!). If you add in some dates, and spread it atop some whole grain bread (made from wheat and barley), you’ll have covered 4 of the seven species with just the appetizer!

I absolutely love the sweetness and chewiness of dried fruits. Oven roasting them brings out their flavor, and adds a delicious carmelization that is excellent when paired with smoked meats or cheeses.


Mustard Roasted Dried Fruits

1 cup dried figs
1 cup mission figs
1 cup dried pear halves
1/2 cup dried apricots
1/2 cup pitted prunes
1 tbsp mustard powder
2 tbsp mustard seeds
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white wine vinegar
1 1/2 cups dry white wine

Method:

Preheat oven to 400. Place fruit in roasting pan and sprinkle over mustard powder, seeds, salt and sugar. Add vinegar and wine and stir gently to combine. Roast in the oven, stirring and tossing occasionally for about 30 minutes or until the fruits carmelize (check them after 20-35 minutes). Will last up to 2 weeks in the refrigerator.

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