Category: Appetizer

Baharat Pumpkin Butter

I’m not a fan of pumpkin spice anything, so I did what I do best and put my own spin on pumpkin butter by adding baharat, silan and a little bit of tahini for creaminess.

In his cookbook Shaya, Alon Shaya shares “an odyssey of food, my journey back to Israel” and he calls Baharat spice “the fancy pumpkin pie spice”. It’s kind of a savory version with cumin, black pepper along with the warm notes of cinnamon, cardamom, cloves and nutmeg. Adding it to pumpkin butter gives it depth and spice that is so different from traditional pumpkin spice, and yes, I love it!

Pair it with a cinnamon raisin bagel for the ultimate treat!To view the reel on Instagram click here.

Baharat Pumpkin Butter

15oz can pumpkin purée
1 1/2 tsp baharat
1/4 cup silan
1/4 tsp kosher salt
2 tsp tahini paste

Method:

In a pan, combine the pumpkin, baharat, silan and salt. Cool over medium heat until reduced and thickened, 10-20 minutes. Stir in the tahini paste.

(For my homemade baharat blend click here.)

Related Recipes:

Baklava Pumpkin Pie
Cookie Butter Pumpkin Pie
Beer  Battered Pumpkin Rings

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Herbed Apple & Date Salad

I was lucky enough to spend the last week of the summer in Israel to join a close friend in celebrating a Bar Mitzvah (full itinerary to be posted after the Chagim!), but also for some inspiration for both my body (food!) and soul. What’s amazing about Israel is that you don’t have to seek those things out – they find you. Whether you’re going to the kotel for Friday night prayers, or taking a stroll through the shuk – beauty – in the form of soulful connections, culinary delights, Jerusalem stone, artisan creations, magical energy – surrounds you.

One such culinary delight that I found repeatedly in various forms – is this delicious herb salad. With loads of fresh parsley, crunchy celery, some kind of dried fruit (usually raisins) and nuts (often pecans or walnuts), the salad was simply dressed and so refreshing! I knew when I took my first bite that I needed to create a Rosh Hashanah version, and here it is!

Shana Tova! – to a SWEET New Year indeed.

Herbed Apple & Date Salad

1 bunch fresh parsley, chopped
3 stalks celery, diced small (use the leaves as well!)
1 green apple, peeled and diced small
4 medjool dates, pitted and diced small
1/3 cup roasted and salted sunflower seeds
3 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp silan
juice of 1/2 lemon
kosher salt, to taste

Related Recipes:

holiday salad with apple & honey vinaigrette
pomegranate coleslaw
roasted beet salsa

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Simanim Carpaccio


This show stopping appetizer is as beautiful as it is delicious! It incorporates some of the symbolic foods that are customary to eat for the New Year including beets, carrots and pomegranate!

To view the reel on Instagram click here.

Simanim Carpaccio

1 package  vacuum packed beets, thinly sliced on a mandolin
1 1/2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 tbsp pomegranate molasses
1 1/2 tbsp @heavenandearthfoods silan (date honey)
kosher salt, to taste
1/2 cup chopped parsley
1/2 cup pomegranate seeds
1/4 cup chopped roasted, salted pistachios (or nuts/seeds of choice)

Carrot Ribbon Salad
2 carrots, peeled into ribbons
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
juice of 1/2 lemon
kosher salt, to taste

Spread the beets out onto a large platter, overlapping slightly. Drizzle with olive oil, pomegranate molasses, and silan and season with salt. Add the carrot ribbon salad to a bowl and mix well. Top the beets with the carrot ribbons and garnish with parsley, pomegranate seeds and pistachios.



Related Recipes:

Rosh Hashana Recipes

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Kitchen Sink Chicken Caesar Salad

I can eat chicken Caesar salad every day of the summer, and I always make it a little different, depending on what’s in my fridge. No chicken? leftover meat or burgers will do! No lettuce? iceberg can work! The rest is up to the produce bin – shaved raw corn (fave!), snap peas, cabbage, kohlrabi, all the crunch and lets not forget the croutons! I used roasted chickpeas here cuz YUMMMM but whatever’s in the pantry is up for grabs – bottom-of-the-bag pretzels, crackers, chips – all fair game! So open your fridge and make it your own!

To view the reel on Instagram click here.

Kitchen Sink Chicken Caesar Salad

1 head romaine, chopped
Quarter head red cabbage, thinly sliced
Handful of baby cucumbers, halved
Handful of raw sugar snap peas, thinly sliced
Handful of radishes, thinly sliced
2 grilled chicken breasts, cubed
1 cup roasted chickpeas

Dressing:
3/4 cup Mayo
2 tbsp Dijon
1 scallion, chopped
1 heaping tbsp capers, chopped
Handful of dill, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
Salt and pepper, to taste
3 tbsp rice vinegar

Mix and combine!

Related Recipes:

Grilled Chicken Salad with Jalapeno Honey Mustard Dressing

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Roasted Baby Elote (Mexican Street Corn)

Welcome summer! After a crazy busy winter that flew by faster than I ever thought possible, it’s corn season – my favorite! There’s nothing quite like crispy corn on the cob, and I love it in all forms – raw, roasted, grilled, steamed, and even made into ice cream and pudding. Baby corn though? It doesn’t get much love.

But when I saw my friend Melinda roast it in the oven with some garlic salt, my imagination went wild! So I picked up a couple of bags at Trader Joes, and I made this lipsmacking dish that is inspired by Elote, or Mexican Street Corn. Traditionally, elote is grilled, rolled in a sour cream and mayo mixture that’s seasoned with chili powder, lime and cilantro, and then rolled in cotija cheese (similar to feta). Here, I roasted the baby corn with tajin chili lime seasoning, and made a light Greek yogurt sauce with cilantro, jalapeno, garlic and lime. I finished it with crumbled feta and cilantro and OMG it’s my new favorite dish!!

For the corn:

2 6oz. pkg fresh baby corn
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp tajin seasoning or chili lime spice
pinch of kosher salt
1/2 cup crumbled feta
fresh cilantro, for garnish

For the crema
2 5.3oz containers Greek yogurt
juice and zest of 1/2 lime
1 cup cilantro
2 cloves garlic
1 jalapeno, seeds and veins removed
kosher salt, to taste

Method:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Spread the baby corn on a parchment lined baking sheet and toss with olive oil, tajin and salt. Roast for 25 minutes or until slightly charred.

While the corn is roasting, combine the crema ingredients in a food processor or blender and blend until smooth.

Spread the crema on a platter and top with roasted corn, Finish with crumbled feta and cilantro.

Related Recipes:

grilled corn with za’atar garlic butter
watermelon corn salsa

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