For my loyal CwB followers who were unable to attend Yitzi Taber of Bergenfield’s cooking demo at Bloomingdale’s in Hackensack on May 8, here are a few of the recipes that he made. The event was sponsored By Manischewitz and Fairway Market.

Taber, a.k.a., “Chef Y,” a senior of Torah Academy of Bergen County in Teaneck, was a finalist in this year’s annual Man-O-Manischewitz Cook-Off contest in March.

Parsley Garlic Hummus

Hummus is very healthy for you and can be served with pita chips, veggies, falafel, or chicken. You can add roasted red peppers to hummus for a twist on the original classic.

-YT

Yield: 15 servings

Ingredients:

8 garlic cloves
1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1/3 cup water
1/3 cup grape seed oil
1 lemon, juiced
½ cup tahini or sesame paste
1 bunch parsley, chopped

Instructions:

Put chickpeas and cannellini beans in food processor bowl. Add salt, pepper, tahini paste, water, lemon juice, and garlic cloves. Turn the food processor on high for at least 1 minute or until the hummus is smooth and creamy. Turn the food processor to low and slowly add the oil. Serve with falafel, pita chips, chicken, or meat

Homemade Pita Chips

This easy recipe can be made in about 2 hours from start to finish. The warm, crusty, bread will open up your palate and make you want more! –YT

Yield: 32 pita chips

Ingredients:

3 1/2 cups bread flour, sifted
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 1/2 cups warm water
1 packet yeast
1 egg
1 tablespoon grape seed oil plus 1 teaspoon
2 teaspoons garlic powder
Canola oil spray

Instructions:

In a stand mixer, add the sugar, yeast, warm water, salt, and pepper, and turn on high to combine. Add the egg and incorporate the flour, 1 cup at a time, on a slow speed.

While the mixer is on, add the oil slowly. Place the dough into a large bowl and let rise for 1 1/2 hours. Separate the dough into 8 balls and roll them out about 1/4 inch thick.

Sprinkle the garlic powder on each pita. Spray a cooling rack with a baking sheet beneath evenly with canola spray. Place 3 pitas at a time on the cooking rack and bake in oven at 350 degrees for 5 minutes. Cut the pitas into quarters.

Serve with hummus, pesto, or a favorite dip.

Charming colorful corn salad

This salad has many different vibrant colors and can be served as a refreshing side dish or just by itself. –YT

Yield: 7 servings

Ingredients:

2 11-ounce cans white and yellow corn niblets, drained and washed
1 red onion, diced
1 red pepper, diced
1 Jicama, diced
For the dressing:
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon sugar or honey
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper

Instructions:

In a small bowl, add the corn, red onion, red pepper, and Jicama. In another bowl add all of the ingredients for the dressing. Pour the dressing into the corn mixture and stir to combine.

As promised, here are the finalist recipes from this year’s Manischewitz Cook-Off, including the winning one, Faux Pho by Josie Shapiro from San Francisco.

I attended the event with my daughter-in-law and had an amazing time. The contestants worked so hard to create these amazing dishes.

Local finalist Yitzi Taber entered Garlic Chicken Rollatini. Watch for that recipe and one other by him in the May 3 Keeping Kosher section of the Jewish Standard.

THE WINNER!!!!

Faux Pho

Josie Shapiro - San Francisco, Calif.

Serves 6

Ingredients:

12 ounces Manischewitz Egg Noodles
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons curry powder
1/2 cup orange juice
1 cup coconut milk
3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (6-8 ounces each)
1/4 cup lime juice
1 1/2 cups fresh basil leaves
32 ounce Manischewitz Chicken Broth
Salt
Pepper

Preparation:

Cook the egg noodles 2 minutes less than directed on package. Strain, run under cold water to stop cooking process, and set aside.

Heat oil in a French oven or large, heavy bottomed pot over medium heat. Add curry powder, stirring until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add chicken. Flip to coat in curry. Add broth, orange juice, and coconut milk and bring to a boil. Turn heat to low and gently simmer until chicken is almost cooked through, about 15 minutes.

With a slotted spoon, remove chicken from soup and roughly chop into bite size pieces. Return chopped chicken to soup. Add cooked egg noodles, turn heat to high and return soup to boil. Lower heat and simmer 2 minutes. Remove from heat and season with lime juice, salt and pepper.

Serve topped with fresh basil leaves.

Sweet & Spicy Seared Tuna

from Michele Kusma - Columbus, Ohio

Serves 6

Ingredients:

14 wonton wrappers
2 medium zucchinis
1/2 cup rice vinegar
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 1/2 pounds Ahi tuna steaks (sushi-grade, one-inch thick)
3 tablespoons canola oil, divided
1 tablespoon Manischewitz Creamy Horseradish Sauce, wasabi
2 1/4 cup Manischewitz Vegetable Broth
Salt
Pepper

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut wonton wrappers in half, lengthwise to form triangles. Brush both sides of triangles lightly with canola oil. Place wrappers on baking sheet and bake at 400 degrees for 3-5 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove wonton wrappers from the baking sheet and cool on baking rack. While the wonton wrappers are cooking, use a Julienne peeler to make zucchini “noodles.” Be sure to separate the noodles so they do not stick together. In a medium saucepan, mix together 2 cups of the vegetable broth, rice vinegar, sugar, and sesame oil. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring constantly, until sugar is dissolved (about 2-3 minutes). Remove saucepan from heat and stir in zucchini “noodles.” Cover the saucepan and set aside. Add 1-2 tablespoons of canola oil to a large cast iron skillet and heat over medium-high heat until the oil begins to shimmer. Season both sides of the Ahi tuna steaks with salt. Sear tuna steaks 1 minute on the first side and 45 seconds on the second side. Tuna will be medium-rare. Remove tuna from the skillet, cover with foil and rest for 5 minutes. While tuna is resting, in a small cup combine 1 tablespoon of the wasabi horseradish sauce and 1 tablespoon of vegetable broth. Then mix in 1 tablespoon of canola oil until all ingredients are combined. Using a slotted spoon, remove the zucchini noodles from the saucepan and let drain on paper towels. To assemble, put 5-7 baked wonton triangles in a line down the middle of each plate. Divide zucchini into 4 equal portions and place on top of the wonton wrappers on each plate. Slice the tuna steaks into ¼ inch thick slices, divide into 4 equal portions, and place on top of the zucchini. Drizzle the wasabi sauce over the tuna.

Chicken & Potato Leek Pie

Allison Hoschander - Woodmere, N.Y.

Serves 6

Ingredients:

1 small barbecue or rotisserie chicken
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 leeks, chopped
2 carrots, cut in 1/2 inch slices
2 red potatoes, cut into small cubes
1/4 cups Manischewitz potato starch
1 frozen piecrust
1 egg, beaten
2 cups Manischewitz Reduced-Sodium Chicken Broth
Salt
Pepper

Preparation:

Remove the skin from the chicken and shred the meat into bite side chunks and set aside. Heat the oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the chopped leeks and cook for 5 minutes or until they are soft. Add in the sliced carrots and season the vegetables with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper and continue to cook for 2-3 more minutes or until the have softened. Add in the cubed red potatoes and cook 3 additional minutes. While the vegetables are cooking stir together the broth and the potato starch. Slowly pour the broth mixture into the pot stirring continuously. Continue cooking the filling over medium high heat, stirring constantly until the mixture comes to a boil and thickens. Remove from heat and add in the shredded chicken. Pour filling into a 9 inch baking dish. Roll out pie dough and place on top of pie. Brush the dough with the egg and cut a few slits for steam. Bake at 400 degrees for 20-30 minutes or until piecrust is golden.

Now that Passover is over and the March Madness basketball games are completed, its time to catch up on some fun recipes to serve perhaps while watching baseball! That’s how we know spring is here.

Antoine Sicotte aka “The Rebel Chef,” author of the award-winning cookbook, “Le Cuisinier Rebelle,” sent a sneak peek of recipes in preparation for the debut of his third cookbook. He is known to be a big fan of Frank’s Red Hot Pepper Sauce, the secret ingredient used in the original Buffalo wing sauce recipe since 1964. Although the recipes are not certified kosher and adaptations must be made to make them so, Frank’s Red Hot Sauce is certified kosher and is a really WOW ingredient.

Frank’s RedHot has a blend of flavor and heat and works well on game day favorites like chili, burgers, pizza, and nachos. (obviously not served together)

Frank’s Red Hot Buffalo Dip (dairy) adapted

Serve hot with celery sticks, veggies, or your favorite chips.

Prep Time: 5 min. Cook Time: 20 min.

1 8 ounce package cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup blue cheese or ranch salad dressing
1/2 cup any flavor Frank’s RedHot Sauce
1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese or shredded mozzarella cheese

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Place cream cheese into deep baking dish. Stir until smooth. Mix in salad dressing, Frank’s RedHot sauce. Bake 20 minutes or until mixture is heated through; stir. Garnish as desired. Serve with crackers or cut up vegetables.

Makes 4 cups dip

Frank’s RedHot Buffalo Chicken Wings (meat)

Prep Time: 10 min. Cook Time: 20 min.

2 1/3 pounds chicken wing pieces
3/4 cup any flavor Frank’s RedHot Wing Sauce

Bake wings in foil-lined pan at 500 degrees on lowest oven rack for 20 minutes until crispy, turning once.

Toss wings in sauce to coat.

Makes 6 to 8 servings

Deluxe Burgers – Burgers with the Worx (meat) adapted

Makes 4 burgers

1 pound ground beef (or a mixture of beef and turkey)
1 small onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, crushed
Salt and pepper
2 tablespoons Frank’s RedHot Original Sauce
1 large onion, sliced
1 package mushrooms of your choice, sliced
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 avocado, sliced
1 tomato, sliced
Dijon mustard
4 English muffins (or any other buns of your choice)

Preparation

To make patties, combine ground meat, chopped onion, and garlic in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper, add Frank’s RedHot Original Sauce, and mix until smooth. Shape into 4 patties and set aside. In a pan, over medium heat, sauté sliced onion until lightly golden. Add sliced mushrooms and cook until golden brown. Season with salt and pepper and set aside. In the same pan used to sauté the onions and mushrooms, cook patties in olive oil. To assemble burgers, toast English muffins and spread bottom halves with Dijon mustard. Top each bottom bun with a few tomato slices, a few avocado slices, and 1 tbsp. mushroom and onion mixture. Spread the top half of the English muffin, close burgers and enjoy!

Happy Passover everyone!! As promised, here is a kosher-for-Passover recipe from the 7th annual Man-O-Manischewitz Cook-Off by contestant Robin Saul of Atlanta, Ga.

The recipe for Josie Shapiro’s winning recipe, “Faux Pho,” which is not Pesachdik, will be printed after Passover, as will Yitzi Taber’s recipe for “Garlic Chicken Rollatini.”

Balsamic Mushroom Matzo Panini with Mango Jam

Ingredients
Manischewitz Garlic/Olive Oil Cooking Spray
1 medium onion, diced
1 1/2 pounds mushrooms, button or Portobella, chopped
2 cups mango, diced
4 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
4 tablespoons brown sugar
8 pieces Manischewitz matzo
1/2 cups Manischewitz Vegetable Broth
Salt
Water

Directions
Stir onions into large non-stick frying pan sprayed generously with cooking spray until tender but not brown. Add chopped mushrooms, salt to taste, and sauté for 5 minutes. Pour in 1/2 cup vegetable broth and balsamic vinegar simmering uncovered until reduced and absorbed. There should be no liquid in the pan and vegetables should be soft, but not brown.

While the mushrooms cook, combine mango and brown sugar with 2 tablespoons of water to prevent burning in a small pot for about 10 minutes until it thickens. Pulse with immersion blender leaving some small chunks but making it spreadable. Put into shallow bowl to cool.

To assemble panini: Take jelly roll pan that the matzah will fit into and fill with enough water to cover matzo. Immerse matzo sheet gently without cracking and hold down in water just until softened. Remove from water and lay on even surface such as a towel- lined counter. The matzo should feel soft, but still remain firm to handle. Spread 2 matzos sheets with a total of about 1 tablespoon mayonnaise. Over the mayonnaise, spread one side with mushroom mixture and the other with mango jam. Divide the jam and mushrooms evenly among all sandwiches spreading ingredients across matzo sheets. Close sandwich. Give the same large fry pan a good dose of cooking spray and place sandwich on hot pan. Fry on medium heat using a flat pot cover or a smaller pan bottom to gently press down. You want the matzo a bit crispy so listen for the sizzle sounds. Raise or lower heat as needed. Spray top of sandwich with cooking spray and using a spatula, gently flip sandwich. Press again and fry on medium high heat for just about 2 minutes. Repeat process for the each sandwich.

This recipe is easy to increase.

Passover Recipes Part 2

With everyone is full-fledged Passover prep now, take a moment and look over these delicious recipes that come straight from some of Israel’s top chefs. Perhaps some of the recipes will work for one’s seder, if not, experiment and try them for a Passover meal. In any case, enjoy this special time with your families. Remember, these occasions are what memories are made of. Hag Sameach!

A Pesach Feast

By Anna Harwood

Pesach need not be a time to compromise in the kitchen. It is still possible to serve a sumptuous feast while being careful not to include forbidden chametz. As Israel’s top hotels are gearing up for one of their busiest periods, executive chefs Moti Bochbut and Charlie Fadida from the Inbal Jerusalem and Sheraton Tel Aviv respectively, took time out to share a few of their most popular Pesach recipes.

Seared salmon fillet on a bed of roasted eggplant with peppers and tomatoes

Chef Moti Bochbut, Executive Chef Inbal Jerusalem Hotel

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

4 salmon fillets (with skin attached)
4 cloves of crushed garlic
3 tablespoons olive oil (plus extra for frying)
Bunch of fresh thyme, chopped
Juice of 3 oranges
1 cup white wine (Mount Hermon White recommended)
Salt, pepper
1 eggplant, peeled and cut into 3cm-thick rounds
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup vinegar
2 tablespoons honey
Radish sprouts or roasted pepper to decorate
Tomato sauce:
4 fresh tomatoes, chopped
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 red pepper, coarsely chopped
2 cloves of fresh garlic
3 tablespoons white wine
1/2 cup vegetable stock
Salt, pepper

Preparation:

Soak the salmon fillets for around an hour in a marinade of the orange juice, white wine, garlic, 3 tablespoons of olive oil, fresh thyme, salt and pepper.

Make the sauce: Fry the onion and garlic with a little oil. Add the remaining ingredients and cook over a low heat until the liquid has absorbed all the flavours.

Use a hand blender to blend the sauce. Taste and season accordingly.

When the fish has finished marinating, pour a little olive oil into a hot pan and place the fish into the pan, skin side down. Cook for two minutes, flip and cook the other side for a further two minutes.

Place the fish to the side and preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Heat the fish for a further 4 minutes in the oven when ready to serve.

Fry the eggplant in a hot pan with a little olive oil on both sides until it turns a golden brown.

In a small pan, boil the vinegar and honey and then pour over the fried eggplant so that it can absorb the flavors.

To serve:

Place a slice of the roasted eggplant on each plate. Carefully place a fillet of salmon on top of each eggplant round and then decorate with radish sprouts or even a slice of roasted pepper.

Drizzle tomato sauce to the side of the fish and serve hot.

Wine Recommendation: This dish goes perfectly with the Yarden Chardonnay. The 2011 Yarden Chardonnay, which was recently released, is a classic medium to full bodied Chardonnay and is wonderfully flavorful. Its bright notes of lemon and lime are complemented by floral, pear, and peach notes making a smooth and eminently drinkable wine. Having been aged in oak barrels for seven months, hints of spice and French oak add a delightful additional layer to the wine. The Mount Hermon White, which is used in the recipe, available in all good kosher wine stores, also makes a delightful accompaniment to the meal. It is a deliciously tropical wine and its light herb notes will complement the fresh thyme in the marinade.

Roasted Shoulder of Lamb in a Root Vegetable Sauce

Charlie Fadida, Executive Chef, the Sheraton Hotel, Tel Aviv

Serves: 8

Ingredients:

8 slices of lamb shoulder (each 1/2 pound)
2 tablespoons potato flour
1/2 bottle of dry red wine
1 carrot
1 onion
1 root vegetable
1 stick of celery
4 garlic cloves
2 spoons of tomato paste
8 spoons of olive oil

Preparation:

Heat a thick-bottomed pan and add the 8 tablespoons of oil.

Flour the lamb and fry until golden on both sides. Remove to a separate dish.

In the pan used to fry the lamb, add the vegetables and fry for approximately 10 minutes.

Add the tomato paste to the pan and continue frying for another 5 minutes.

Add the red wine and heat until the wine has decreased by half.

Return the meat to the pot and add water until the meat is 3/4 of the way covered. Bring to the boil and season with salt and pepper.

Cover with aluminum foil and place in an oven, pre-heated to 350 °F.

After 2 hours cooking time, take the meat out and check that it has softened by pressing with finger. If so, remove from oven and serve.

Wine recommendation: Lamb is a delicious, tender meat which needs to be matched carefully with a fitting wine. The Yarden Merlot is up to the challenge with its deep and complex flavors. It is a full bodied and flavor-rich wine which has been aged for fifteen months in, primarily, French oak barrels giving the wine a background of rich oak to complement its delicious berry and cassis notes. The Yarden Merlot is also available in Magnum sized bottles providing a show-stopping centerpiece to accompany this elegant dish.

Belgian chocolate mousse served with a passion fruit drizzle, honey truffles and fresh dates

Chef Moti Bochbut, Executive Chef, Inbal Jerusalem Hotel

Serves: 6

Ingredients:

Mousse
7 egg whites
2 whole eggs
1 cup white sugar
400g (about 1 pound) good quality dark chocolate
1/4 cup oil
2 packets (3 cups) of Rich Whip (non-dairy topping)
1/2 cup good quality brandy
Cocoa for dusting
(Piping bag required)
Truffles
210g (about 1/2 a pound) melted chocolate (dark or milk according to taste)
1/3 cup almond butter (or peanut butter if not concerned about Kitniyot)
4 teaspoons honey
Fresh Dates

Preparation:

Chocolate mousse:

Beat eggs, egg whites and sugar until it forms strong peaks.

Melt the chocolate in a bowl over a pan of boiling water. Add the oil.

Remove from the heat and fold in the beaten eggs.

Beat the Rich Whip until firm and fold into the mixture.

Fill a disposable piping bag with the mixture and pipe mushroom-sized mounds onto a tray lined with parchment paper and dusted with cocoa powder.

Freeze until ready to serve

Truffles:

Melt chocolate in a bowl over a pan of boiling water. Remove from the heat

Add the almond butter and mix until completely combined

Warm the honey and then add to the mixture, stirring until it begins to harden and become dough like.

Cool and form balls from the mixture.

Roll in cocoa powder and then store on parchment paper until ready to serve.

Add butter nougat and mix until a uniform texture.

Serving suggestion: Place 4-5 chocolate mousse balls on each plate with some truffles, fresh dates cut in half and passion fruit drizzled around the plate.

Wine recommendation: Such a stylishly presented dessert calls for an equally refined wine. The Yarden Muscat boasts an aromatic blend of fresh flowers, ripe tangerines, tropical fruits and baking spices. It is produced by adding oak-aged brandy early in the fermentation of the Muscat grapes, resulting in a fragrant and sweet wine with attractive notes of rich French oak. Pleasingly sweet but not cloying, this is an elegant and drinkable dessert wine.

As promised from the Passover pages in this week’s Jewish Standard.. Holiday Features section, here are two more recipes reprinted with permission from

“Recipes from Passover Made Easy” by Leah Schapira and Victoria Dwek.

Watch for more recipes next week. In the meantime, don’t stress too much and do too much at once. Everything will be just fine.

Eggplant-Wrapped Chicken

4-6 servings

Wine Pairing: Domaine Netofa Red

Tidbit:

Sephardic Jews re-enact the Exodus from Egypt following the seder step of Yachatz. They take turns slinging the afikomon bag over their shoulder and responding to questions. Q: “Where are you coming from?” A: “From Egypt.”

Q: “Where are you going?” A: “To Yerushalayim.” Q: “What are you carrying?”

A: “Matzah and marror.”

Ingredients

Eggplant:
1 tall eggplant
1/2 cup oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
Pinch coarse black pepper

Meat Mixture:
3 tablespoons oil

1 onion, diced

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 pound ground meat
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

Chicken:
6 boneless skinless chicken thighs
1/4 teaspoon salt
inch course black pepper

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to broil. Grease a baking sheet. Cut eggplant lengthwise 1/2-inch thick, to get 6 or 7 slices. Reserve remaining eggplant scraps. Place eggplant slices on prepared baking sheet. Brush slices with oil and season with salt and pepper. Broil 5 minutes per side, until second side is beginning to brown. The slices should appear as if they were fried. Remove and set aside.

2. Preheat oven to 350°F.

3. Peel and finely dice remaining eggplant to obtain ½ cup diced eggplant. Heat oil in a sauté pan over medium heat. Add onion, garlic, and diced eggplant and sauté until soft, about 5-7 minutes.

4. In a small bowl, combine onion mixture with ground meat. Season with salt and garlic powder.

5. Season chicken thighs with salt and pepper. Place a tablespoon of the meat mixture into each thigh and roll up to close. Roll a eggplant slice around each stuffed chicken thigh. Place, seam side down and close together, in a baking pan. Cover and bake for 2 hours.

Matzaroni and Cheese (dairy)

6-8 servings

What kids don’t prefer mac ‘n cheese over anything else? This is an easy dinner that will get all the troops running to the table when the hot, cheesy, and bubbling dish emerges from the oven.

Ingredients

5 matzahs, broken into small pieces
5 eggs
1 (16 ounce) container sour cream
1 (16 ounce) container cottage cheese
3 tablespoons butter, melted
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups shredded mozzarella or muenster cheese, divided

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In an 8 x 8-inch baking dish, arrange 1⁄3 of the broken matzah pieces.

2. In a medium bowl, beat eggs. Add sour cream, cottage cheese, butter, salt, and 1 cup shredded cheese. Pour 1⁄3 of the cheese mixture over the matzah. Repeat with two additional layers of matzah and cheese. Top with remaining 1 cup shredded cheese. Bake for 40 minutes. The cheese on top should be brown and bubbling.

www.artscroll.com/PassoverMadeEasy

Crowd-pleasing recipes for game day

March Madness means weeks of dedicated viewing time as basketball fans watch with anticipation leading up to the Final Four. Big game excitement also means big appetites and an exciting menu can keep guests as satisfied with the food as they are with the game.

With that in mind, French’s Foods sent us some great recipe ides featuring two of America’s favorites: French’s Mustard and French’s French Fried Onions (found in the canned vegetable aisle).

They suggest making a platter of French’s Crunchy Onion Chicken Fingers featuring French’s French Fried Onions. The easy recipe takes 10 minutes of prep time and is ready to serve in less than 30 minutes. Then, serve it with some French’s Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce, which also tastes great with pretzel sticks and veggies.

For additional everyday recipes, visit www.frenchs.com.

Watch for the next Cooking with Beth entry using recipes with Frank’s Hot Sauce.

Party size crunchy onion chicken tenders

8 servings

6 ounce can (3 cups) French’s Original French Fried Onions
1/4 cup flour
2 pounds boneless chicken breasts or cut into tenders
2 eggs, beaten

Crush French Fried Onions with flour in plastic bag.

Dip chicken tenders into egg and coat in onion crumbs.

Bake 15 minutes at 400 degrees until chicken is cooked.

To make ahead of time, cover and refrigerate several hours or overnight. To reheat, place on baking sheet and bake uncovered just before serving.

Savory hummus dip (dairy)

1 15 ounce can reduced sodium chick peas, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup light sour cream
1/4 cup chutney or apricot jam, chopped
1/4cup French’s Classic Yellow Mustard
2 teaspoons curry powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup chopped cilantro (optional)

Blend beans, sour cream, jam, mustard, curry powder, and salt in food processor until smooth. Stir in cilantro. Spoon into serving bowl. Serve with crackers or cut-up vegetables. Makes 8 servings (2 cups)

French’s party pinwheels (recipe adapted)

1 package refrigerated pizza crust dough
1/2 cup French’s Spicy Brown Mustard
1/3 pound thin sliced deli roast beef or turkey
1 7-ounce jar roasted red peppers, drained well and thinly sliced
2 cups (4 ounces) French’s French Fried Onions
1 large egg beaten with one tablespoon water

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Unroll dough; place on baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Press out dough to 12 x 8-inch rectangle. Brush mustard on dough to within 1/2-inch from edges. Layer roast beef, turkey, and red peppers on dough. Sprinkle with 1 cup French Fried Onions. Roll up dough from long edges into a jelly roll shape. Press dough together at ends to seal. Please dough seam-side up on baking sheet. Using a sharp knife, slit top of dough every 2-inches to vent. Bake 15 minutes until crust is just golden. Crush remaining onions. Brush dough with egg mixture and sprinkle with crushed onions. Bake 5 minutes longer. Cool before cutting into slices.

Makes 8 servings

According to Rinku Bhattacharya, the author of “The Bengali Five Spice Chronicles--Exploring the Cuisine of Eastern India,” reviewed in this week’s (February 15) Jewish Standard, “to some the hallmark of a true Bengali is his proverbial sweet tooth.”

I think we could probably say that for Jews as well.. I think my family would be a prime example, even with my husband, a diabetic, we have found lots of no-sugar added treats for him, including ice cream. So, with the spirit of Purim upon us, here is an interesting recipe to make for a holiday table. There is no dairy in the recipe.

The following dessert is a symbol of the Indian festival of Lokkhi/Lakshmi Puja-- a domestic festival celebrated in most households in a simple way. The author notes that one needs patience to make this recipe and the toffee balls need to be cooked on very low heat and stirred frequently to release the natural oils of the coconut.

Prep time: 15 minutes; Cook time: 30 minutes; Yield: 20 small narus

Coconut Toffee Balls

Narkoler Naru

Ingredients:

2 cups grated coconut (can use the frozen variety)
3/4 cup jaggery (sugar made from sugar cane, date palms, or coconut)
1/2 teaspoon cardamom powder ( used as a spice for sweet dishes)

In a wok or skillet on very low heat, cook the coconut, stirring frequently, for 15 to 20 minutes. The coconut should be turning light brown and aromatic and begin releasing some oil.

Add the jaggery and continue cooking on low, stirring frequently, until the jaggery is melted and the mixture is well browned and very fragrant and toffee-like. (there should be plenty of coconut oil glistening on the mixture)

Stir in the cardamom powder. Remove from heat and let cool until able to be handled.

Shape into small balls. These balls keep well for a couple of weeks at room temperatures up to 70 degrees or refrigerated. If refrigerated, they should be brought to room temperature before serving.