Category: Dairy

Fennel Fig & Feta Salad

You know I love me a little alliteration! But seriously that only happened by mistake! This recipe came together in the supermarket aisle – which is really how I like to build my salads – seeing what’s available and springboarding off of that!

The shelves were freshly stocked with beautiful figs, and I can never resist them, so I decided to make a salad for Shabbat to showcases them. I walked down the aisles for inspiration and I first saw the fennel. The licorice flavor would pair wonderfully, I thought, so I grabbed some. Then for some greens, bitter arugula seemed like the perfect pairing, so I added a container to my cart. Next, some alliums, and red onion is always the obvious choice.

I loaded my cart, stocked my fridge, and Shabbos morning, I started to play! I sorted through my pantry, grabbed some sunflower seeds for crunch, and toasted sesame for the nutty flavor. I spotted fig jam in the pantry so I decided to go fully on figgy and add it the salad dressing! The salad was devoured at the table, but as soon as I took a bite, I knew I had to make it again with feta cheese (our Shabbos meal was meat, so adding dairy wasn’t an option!). So I made it again on Sunday for lunch and it was salad perfection!

 

Fennel Fig & Feta Salad

5 oz. arugula
1 bulb fennel, thinly sliced
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced into half moons
4 figs, sliced
2 tbsp sunflower seeds
1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds

Dressing:
1/3 cup grapeseed oil
3 tbsp balsamic vinegar
3 tbsp fig jam
2 tsp silan
2 tsp dijon mustard
salt and pepper, to taste

Method:

You know what to do!

 

Related Recipes:

Fig Granita Breakfast Sundae
Charcuterie Stuffed Figs
Smoky Kale & Farro Salad with Balsamic Fig Dressing
Fennel Peach Salad with Basil Lime Dressing

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Fig Granita Breakfast Sundae

Oh. Em. Gee. I don’t know if I’ve ever tasted something so delicious in my entire life!! I’m not much of a dessert person, but this components of this breakfast sundae come together like a midsummer’s night dream!! Tart Greek yogurt, shaved frozen figs (yes!!), crispy filo dough, honey, pistachios and flaky salt – GIVE. ME. MORE.

 

Fig Granita Breakfast Sundae

3 sheets filo dough
olive oil spray
kosher salt, to taste
cinnamon, to taste
1 cup Greek yogurt
1 package collagen, optional
2 tsp honey, plus more for finishing
2 frozen figs
2 tbsp chopped roasted, salted pistachios
flaky salt, for finishing

Method:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Crunch up the filo dough and place on a parchment lined baking sheet, spray with olive oil spray and season with salt and cinnamon. Bake for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until golden brown. Mix the yogurt with the collagen and honey. Add to a serving glass. Shave the frozen figs on a microplane directly over the yogurt. Top with filo flakes, pistachio, honey and finish with flaky salt.

Related Recipes:

orange cardamom malabi with drunken figs
halva ricotta stuffed figs
breakfast quinoa with silan roasted figs

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Knicks Victory Fish Tacos!

New York has a way of turning sports into something much greater than just a game. When a team wins, it doesn’t stay confined to a scoreboard or a TV screen. It spills onto the streets, into strangers high-fiving each other, into music blasting from the streets, and people dancing around their neighborhoods. That’s what the Knicks victory felt like.

Saturday night was one of those rare city moments where everyone came together like family! People were proudly wearing blue and orange, jumping with excitement, honking their horns, and clanking their glasses. It wasn’t just celebration—it felt like a reset of the city’s mood and a reminder that shared joy still exists here.

I wanted to capture that feeling in food.

So I built a fish taco that mirrors the colors of the moment: orange and blue, bold and festive, simple enough to eat standing up in a crowd if you had to.

The base is blue corn tortillas, obviously. And the fish, salmon, of course. For the slaw, I used red cabbage (we’ll make believe it’s blue even though it’s more of a purple) and carrots to play into the color story, and add some crunch. For the sauce, I made an orange chipotle-lime crema that really pulls everything together.

The combination is simple, but intentional. Blue, orange, crunch, smoke, acid, heat. A celebration on a plate.

There’s something about making food after a city moment like that. It’s less about replication and more about interpretation—taking a feeling and translating it onto the plate.

Knicks Victory Fish Tacos!

Old Bay Flaked Salmon
4 slices salmon fillet
2 tbsp Old Bay seasoning
zest and juice of 1/2 lemon
2 tbsp olive oil

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Rinse the fish and pat dry. Rub Old Bay seasoning over the fish until well coated and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil, season with lemon zest and juice and sprinkle with salt. Bake for approximately 15 minutes, until the fish flakes easily with a fork.

Cabbage Slaw
1/2 small red cabbage, shredded
2 carrots, julienned and cut into small pieces
olive oil
fresh squeezed lime juice
fresh squeezed orange juice
kosher salt, to taste

Drizzle the cabbage with olive oil and season, to taste, with lime, orange juice and salt.

Chipotle Lime Crema
1 cup sour cream (can sub mayo or Greek yogurt)
1 chipotle pepper in adobo
1 tbsp adobo sauce
1 clove garlic
juice of 1/2 lime
kosher salt, to taste

Add all ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth.

For serving:
blue corn tortillas
fresh cilantro
lime wedges

To assemble fish tacos, heat the tortillas over an open flame until lightly blistered. Fill with the fish, cabbage slaw, crema and cilantro. Serve with lime wedges.

Related Recipes:

old bay fish tacos
Fish Tacos with Savory Plantain Tortillas
fish tacos with broccoli slaw

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Triple Lotus No-Bake Cheesecake

Shavuot is one of those holidays that feels deeply tied to family for me. Beyond the cheesecakes and dairy meals, I always find myself wanting to make dishes that feel personal — something that surprises my kids and feels connected to the things they love most. Food has always been one of the ways I show love, and somehow these holiday recipes end up becoming little time capsules of each stage of our family.

Growing up, my mom’s lasagna was that extra hug for the holiday, and in our house, it’s cheesecake.

Years ago, before Lotus products flooded the kosher market from Israel, getting your hands on anything Biscoff-related was nearly impossible. The only kosher version I could find came from Amsterdam, so I had my cousin ship some to me. Some of my blogger friends and I tried making Biscoff desserts from scratch, and I made these cinnamon buns from the cookies, because the spread wasn’t available on the kosher market yet.

Now Lotus spread is my youngest daughter’s absolute favorite, so this year’s Shavuot cheesecake became hers. A creamy no-bake Lotus cheesecake with a buttery cookie crust and a crunchy caramelized topping that tastes like candy shards on top. I can’t wait to surprise her with it this holiday!

My orange creamsicle cheesecake from Millennial Kosher is my older son’s favorite and my Oreo version is my younger son’s pick. I can’t make them all, so they’re on rotation!

This cheesecake has everything I love in a Shavuot dessert: no baking, lots of texture, and that perfect balance of creamy, crunchy, caramelized, and slightly salty. It feels nostalgic and modern at the same time.

 

Triple Lotus No-Bake Cheesecake

For the crust
1 package Lotus Biscoff cookies
1 stick melted butter

For the filling
16 ounces whipped cream cheese
1 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup Lotus Biscoff spread

For the crunchy topping
2 1/2 cups cornflakes
3.5oz white chocolate
1/2 cup Lotus Biscoff spread
Pinch of salt
flaky salt, for finishing

To make the crust, crush the Biscoff cookies into fine crumbs using a food processor or blender and add the melted butter, pulsing until evenly combined. Press firmly into the bottom of a pie dish or springform pan and place in the fridge while preparing the filling.

For the cheesecake layer, beat together the cream cheese, powdered sugar, vanilla and Lotus spread until smooth and creamy. In a separate bowl, whip the heavy cream until stiff peaks form, then gently fold it into the cream cheese mixture. Spread the filling evenly over the chilled crust and refrigerate for several hours or overnight until set.

For the topping, melt the white chocolate gently over a double boiler and stir in the Lotus spread until smooth. Fold in the cornflakes until fully coated and add a pinch of salt. Spread the mixture over the chilled cheesecake and top with flaky salt, if desired. Return the cheesecake to the refrigerator until ready to serve.

Related Recipes:

Lotus cinnamon buns

cookie butter pumpkin pie

Lotus puppy chow

 

Lotus pancakes

no-bake frozen cheesecake affogato

cottage cheese cheesecake

easy no-bake cheesecake

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Warm Halloumi Salad

There are certain restaurant dishes that completely take over your ordering habits, and for me, warm halloumi salad is one of them. The second I see it on a menu at an Israeli restaurant, I’m ordering it.

Over the years, I’ve had so many different versions — piled into crispy edible baskets, layered over greens, topped with sautéed vegetables, sometimes sweeter, sometimes saltier — but they all had the same irresistible combination of textures and flavors: warm salty cheese, savory vegetables, fresh greens, and that glossy teriyaki-style sauce that pulls everything together.

This version is inspired by all of those salads I couldn’t stop thinking about afterward. Peppery arugula gets topped with sautéed red peppers, onions, and mushrooms, then finished with sesame-crusted halloumi that’s crisp on the outside and soft and chewy in the center. And then comes the sauce. Sweet, savory, sticky, and deeply umami, it coats the warm vegetables and halloumi in the best possible way.

I especially love serving it for Shavuot because it feels festive without trying too hard. Halloumi always gives a dish a little drama, and paired with the warm vegetables and teriyaki flavors, it totally steals the show.

Hearty, comforting, salty, fresh, and honestly craveable enough to build an entire meal around – the perfect holiday centerpiece!

Halloumi Salad

10oz. halloumi (may also use feta or fresh mozzarella)
1/2 cup flour
salt and pepper to taste
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups sesame seeds
canola oil, for frying
1 red pepper, cut into strips
1 red onion, cut into strips
16oz. mushrooms sliced
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup silan
1 clove garlic, grated on a micrplane
2 tbsp harissa
1/4 cup fresh squeezed orange juice
1/3 cup water
1 tbsp cornstarch mixed with 2 tbsp water
5 oz. arugula

Method:

First, fry the halloumi: cut the halloumi into cubes. In a large Ziploc bag, mix flour with salt and pepper, add halloumi and shake to coat. In a shallow bowl, beat eggs with salt and pepper, stir the halloumi in the eggs to fully coat. Add the sesame seeds to a large Ziploc bag and add halloumi, shaking off the excess eggs as you add to the bag, shake to coat.

Heat canola oil in a skillet and add the halloumi, fry until golden brown on both sides, drain on paper towels and sprinkle with salt.

In a bowl or glass measuring cup, add the soy sauce, silan, garlic, harissa, orange juice, water and cornstarch, whisk to combine.

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet, add the onions, peppers and mushrooms and saute until softened and starting to caramelize around the edges. Add the sauce and stir until the sauce thickened and vegetables are glazed.

Spread arugula out on a platter, top with halloumi and the sauteed vegetables, taking care to coat the halloumi cubes in the sauce.

Serve warm.

NOTES:

For a shortcut, you can use store-bought teriyaki sauce instead of making the sauce.

Since this salad is served warm with fried halloumi, it’s best to prepare the day of serving, but if you’d like to prepare in advance, you can prepare the sauteed vegetables ahead of time and warm them before serving. You can grill or saute the halloumi without breading and add it to the sauteed mixture (breading will get soggy if made in advance).

Related Recipes:

halloumi fries
halloumi cheese waffles
camemebert en croute salad
Greek salad with feta croutons
pizza salad with cheese croutons

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