Category: Holiday

Happy Passover!

Why is this Passover Different from all others?

Passover is just over a week away and I don’t know about you, but for me, it’s going to be strange. No seder with family. No traveling. But here at Meat Your Vegetables we have put all of our delicious, no-fuss recipes in 1 place for you. We’re here to make this year’s holiday as stress-free as possible. As if you probably weren’t stressed already!

It’s a strange time we’re living in right now and while we’re under quarantine, it might seem like the perfect opportunity to spend more time in the kitchen or creating recipes, but honestly, I’m just trying to get to a new normal – whatever that means. But fear not, I’m still puttering around with some recipes that I think you’ll love – especially for erev Pesach when it always feels like there’s nothing to eat!

Recipe All-Stars

So in the meantime, while I mess around with a new recipe for Passover crepes, or “tortillas”, here are some fantastic recipes, perfect for Passover or anytime of year, that you might have missed on MYV over the years.

And thanks to YOU all – our readers and supporters, we are proud to have been able to bring you content for over 3 years!

From both Daniel and me here at MYV, we wish you and your family a Chag Kasher V’Sameach, a Pesach Sameach – and we hope above all that you and your family stay safe, healthy (and sane)!

PS – if you follow us on Facebook, make sure to check out my recipe for Cheez-Its!  Just ONE ingredient and you have the perfect cheesy cracker that tastes just like the boxed version! Or you can call it a “frico”, if you’re feeling fancy. 🙂 Check out the recipe here!

Jeweled Rice with Crispy Salami Croutons

Latest Obsession

Fair warning, readers!  In the coming months, you’ll come to notice that I have quite the obsession with Adeena Sussman’s cookbook, Sababa. Using her recipes as inspiration, while I drool all over the pages (jk, that’s gross), I adapted her Jeweled Rice recipe for a fun twist on a dish for Purim! Truthfully, I am not paid to endorse her book, I’m just THAT much in love with it!

A New Twist

A few weeks ago, my husband Elliott and I were eating Friday night dinner and catching up on the past week. Occasionally we’ll go down these rabbit-hole conversations and this one was just that. He was helping me brainstorm for a Purim recipe. Now, don’t get me wrong, Hamantashen are great. But we have a good amount of those recipes on MeatYourVegetables, so I thought it was time to do something different.

Elliott made some comment about his love of hanging salamis above our back door and he mentioned something along the lines of “ya know, Haman… hanging… salami.” Ah, here comes the light bulb moment.

It makes so much sense now why serving hassleback salami at a Purim seudah has become a “thing” because Haman was hanged on the gallows. So we put two and two together and decided on “Jeweled” rice, because you know – Queen Esther, royalty, crown, jewels. You get the idea. 🙂 And topped with my ever popular salami croutons – how can this go wrong? And yes, I know, I’m making a dish with MEAT?! Sometimes ya have to switch it up, right?

Household staple

Yes, my salami croutons have become a staple in our house (well, just for Elliott). All I do is dice up some salami (it’s easier to do this with softer salami, but you still can with dried, it’ll just be much harder to peel off the paper and chop) and fry it in a bit of olive oil until they’re SUPER crispy. BOOM- salami croutons. A great way to get my husband to eat salad, HA!

Side note here on the jeweled rice. Just like Adeena’s recipe goes, feel free to use any dried fruit. I opted for apricots because Elliott likes apricots and not much else in the dried fruit category. And I went with sliced almonds because again, he’s very particular and he loves almonds. Adding some pomegranate seeds on top would be a great addition too, for that jeweled look. Or, try dried cranberries, or maybe even sun-dried tomatoes!

So there you have it! A great new twist on a dish that’s perfect for Purim, or any time of year! I’m serving this for our upcoming seudah and for Friday night Shabbos dinner!

Purim Sameach!

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Jeweled Rice with Crispy Salami Croutons
Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
1 hr
 
Course: Side
Servings: 4 people
Author: Rachel Katzman
Ingredients
  • 1 cup Basmati or Jasmine Rice If all you have on hand is regular white rice, go ahead and use it. It'll still be delish
  • 1/2 Onion, diced I used red onion for this photo because, well that's all I had in the house and it gives the dish a nice sweetness, so use what you like!
  • 2 tsp Kosher salt
  • 1 tbsp Dried dill I love using fresh dill but dried is so much easier to use since most of us already have it in our pantry. If you use fresh, chop up 1/2 cup
  • 1/2 cup Dried apricots, chopped Again, use whatever dried fruit you like!
  • 1/2 cup Sliced or Slivered almonds
  • 1/2 lemon, zested and juiced I had a meyer lemon on hand and love that bright burst of sweet, tart lemon!
  • 1/4 tsp Freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/2 cup Salami, cut into cubes
  • 5 tbsp Extra virgin olive oil
Instructions

  1. Make the rice: Rinse the rice in a sieve and place in a medium-sized pot or rice cooker. Add 2 cups of water and cook for about 20 minutes until fluffy and tender

  2. While the rice is cooking, in a medium-sized skillet, heat 3 tbsp of the olive oil over medium-heat

  3. Add the onions and and sprinkle with 1 tsp of salt

  4. Make sure to stir frequently so the onions don't burn

  5. Cook for about 20 minutes until the onions are golden and caramelized - remove from pan and set aside to cool

  6. While the rice is cooling, add the remaining 2 tbsp of oil into the pan where the onions cooked and add the salami cubes

  7. Cook on medium heat for about 5-7 minutes until crispy but be careful not to burn (they cook pretty fast)

  8. Add the semi-cooled rice in a large bowl and add the dill, chopped apricots, remaining salt and pepper, lemon zest and juice and almonds

  9. Add the salami croutons along with the remaining oil from the salami

  10. Mix well and add in pomegranate if desired!

  11. Serve warm or room temp and enjoy!

 

Delicata Squash Stuffed With Apples Dates and Leeks and Rosh Hashanah Menu

Stuffed Delicata Squash

A Hearty Recipe for A Successful New Year

The Jewish holiday of Rosh Hashanah (AKA New Year’s) is just around the corner.  On Rosh Hashanah many Jews have the custom to eat traditional symbolic foods to promote different types of success in the coming year. Apples, leeks, dates, and gourds are all part of that tradition. Many people just put these foods on a plate and serve them as is but I wanted to come up with an easy side dish using them.

Rosh Hashanah also signifies the beginning of autumn. One of my favorite things about autumn is the availability of winter squash. The firm flesh of a winter squash makes for a great hearty side dish, and the yellow and orange colors match the colors of the changing leaves. one of my favorite parts of the season.  This recipe calls for delicata squash (squash is in the extended gourd family) as they are all the rage these days and their skin is edible. (I personally believe they are just a gateway drug to pumpkin spice.) You could use acorn or butternut squash if you cannot find  delicata and you don’t mind scooping the flesh from the skin at the table. The recipe also calls for some “warm” spices which are great as the temperature begins to dip this time of year.

Rosh Hashanah Menu

For the first night of Rosh Hashanah we usually invite Rachel and her husband Elliott along with a few other friends. I tend to go all out and break out some higher end proteins. I happen to have a large rib-eye and a couple of ducks in freezer, so instead of spending more money I decided to use those.

My full menu includes:

Cinnamon Sugar Challah (Made by my lovely wife Ronit)

Potato Leek Soup

Teriyaki Salmon (At my wife’s request)

Smashed Potatoes

Pomegranate Glazed Roast Duck

Sous Vide Rib-eye Roast

Roasted Delicata Squash Stuffed with Apples, Dates, and Leeks

Spinach Mango Salad with Beet Chips and A Pomegranate Vinaigrette

Apple Turnovers

As we head in to a new year I want to take this opportunity to thank all of you guys for reading our work. I feel like we have grown significantly in the past year and hope you all will continue on this journey with us in the coming year. We are working on some great things, so stay tuned. I have one favor to ask all of you, we can only be successful with your help. If you could all share this post with your friends across social media it would mean the world to us. From our families to yours, thank you, Shanah Tovah, and have a happy sweet new year.

Don’t forget check out Rachel’s newest Rosh Hashanah recipe: Tomato Pomegranate Salad

Recipe: Delicata Squash Stuffed with Apples, Dates, and Leeks

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Stuffed Delicata Squash
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Delicata Squash Stuffed With Apples Dates and Leeks
Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
1 hr 30 mins
 

This is a great dish as the weather begins cool off. It uses some great fall flavors of warm spices, along with apples and winter squash.

Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Delicata, Delicata Squash, Fall, rosh hashanah, Side Dish, Squash
Servings: 4
Author: Daniel Peikes
Ingredients
  • 2 Delicata Squashes Sliced in half the long way and seeds removed
  • 4 Apples Peeled, cored, and diced
  • 2 Leeks (Just the while part) Sliced in to 1/2" rounds and cleaned
  • 12 Dates Pitted and roughly chopped
  • 3 tbsp Oil for sauteing
  • 3 tbsp Ginger Ground
  • 3 tbsp Cinnamon
  • 3 tbsp Nutmeg Freshly ground
  • Salt and Pepper To taste
Instructions

  1. Sprinkle each of the squashes with a tablespoon each of the ginger, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Then season with salt and pepper to taste. Reassemble the 2 halves of two squashes (sans seeds) and wrap each one tightly in aluminum foil. Place on a foil lined sheet pan and roast at 350°F until it a knife pierces it easily, about 90 minutes.

  2. While the squash roasts, add the oil to the skillet and place over medium heat. Add the leeks to the pan and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently until the leeks just begin to brown, then add the apples and dates as well as the remaining cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg. Continue to cook and stir until the apples are a caramel brown and remove from the heat.

  3. Cut each squash in half the short way. You should have 8 shorter pieces when you are done. Fill each squash piece with the apple, leek, and date mixture and serve.

Don’t forget to check out some of our other Rosh Hashanah recipes:

Beef Bacon Wrapped Mergez Stuffed Date

Zucchini Leek Soup

Gluten-Free Honey Muffins

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Tomato Pomegranate Salad

The Jewish New Year

I can’t believe we’re here. Rosh Hashanah, is just ONE WEEK AWAY! Surely that means your ovens are fired up, tablecloths are freshly laundered and you’re ready to cook up a storm for the Jewish New Year. Oh, and don’t call me Shirley. 🙂

As the tradition goes on Rosh Hashanah to eat a “new fruit”, pomegranates are a common one at many holiday tables. So why not incorporate this tart, sweet fruit into this light and refreshing tomato salad with fresh herbs? It’s the perfect counterpart for some end-of-summer-ripe tomatoes and freshly picked herbs.

A little Inspiration First…

I didn’t necessarily just dream up this recipe in the middle of the night.  I first got the inspiration from flipping through Yotam Ottolenghi’s cookbook Plenty More: Vibrant Vegetable Cooking from London’s Ottolenghi and WOW!  My mouth waters instantly as I read through all of the glorious ways he prepares vegetables. Roasted, steamed, raw, grilled, braised. If you think veggies are only good for salads, well think again!

One of the first recipes in his cookbook is a tomato pomegranate salad with fresh oregano, pomegranate molasses and a kitchen-sink-load of spices. Okay, so no molasses on-hand.  But not to fret! We have some kosher Trader Joe’s pomegranate vinegar to do the trick! All I did for this salad dressing was mix that with some olive oil, salt, and pepper (sumac would be good in this too, with that bright, lemony flavor to accentuate the flavors). And that’s it!  Just let the fresh ingredients do the talking.

Final touches

Another new spin on this recipe? Adding fresh mint and basil! Mostly because I already had some growing on my porch but because I love these 2 herbs mixed together. And tomato and basil?  Well that’s just a match made in heaven.

This recipe also calls for bell peppers, but I thought “oh, the Thai chilies from my porch will be a great addition!”

Um, no.

I LOVE spicy food, but these were STRONG and I was breathing fire in no time. So too potent for this raw salad.  Bottom line, I highly recommend to use bell peppers instead or use a bit more heat like a serrano pepper or even a jalapeno.

So there you have it, dear readers. A perfect start to your Rosh Hashanah seder meal to bring in the new fruits.  And from your team here at Meat Your Vegetables, we want to wish you a K’siva V’Chasima Tova – may you be written and inscribed for a happy and healthy sweet new year! Chag Sameach!

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Tomato Pomegranate Salad
Prep Time
20 mins
 
Course: Salad
Servings: 4 people
Author: Rachel Katzman
Ingredients
  • 3 Tomatoes, chopped I used a variety of fresh heirloom tomatoes - yellow, red and a mix of colors, but use whatever looks fresh at the market
  • 1 1/4 cup Pomegranate arils A great trick to get the arils out of the pomegranate: Fill a large bowl with water and place in your sink. Cut the pomegranate in half and in the bowl, under water, use your hands to pop out the seeds/arils. The white pith will float to the top and you'll have the seeds in the bottom of the bowl!
  • 1 Bell pepper, diced Or use a Serrano or Jalapeno pepper (ribs and seeds removed - or keep 'em in for extra heat!)
  • 1 Handful Basil - torn, or chopped
  • 1 Handful Mint - torn, or chopped
  • 1 Drizzle Pomegranate Vinegar If you can't find this at Trader Joe's or anywhere, just substitute apple cider and add a splash of lemon juice
  • 1 Drizzle Extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/4 tsp Salt
  • 1/4 tsp Freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 Squeeze Fresh Lemon
Instructions

  1. Add the tomatoes, pomegranate, pepper, mint and basil into a big bowl.

  2. Drizzle the vinegar and oil and sprinkle the salt and pepper

  3. Mix gently so you don't bruise the herbs too much. Garnish with extra herbs and a squeeze of lemon juice, if you prefer

Personal Spanakopita Cheesecake Topped with Feta and Crispy Leeks

Spanakopita CheesecakeThe holiday of Shavuot is approaching, or as they call it in my wife’s office the cheesecake holiday. Why is it the cheesecake holiday? I’m glad you asked. Shavuot is the only holiday on the Jewish calendar where we traditionally eat dairy. The primary reason given is that Shavuot celebrates the Jewish people’s reception of the Torah. The Torah contains the Jewish dietary rules know as kosher.  While the Jews sorted out these new rules, they stuck to eating dairy which has somewhat simpler rules than consuming meat.

As I have said many times before I am not a baker, and I usually leave anything pastry related to my wife. Instead of treading on her domain and doing a traditional sweet cheesecake for dessert I decide to challenge Rachel to a savory cheesecake challenge.

Spani-what?

I kicked around a few ideas including a deep dish pizza cheesecake, a goat cheese and caramelized onion cheesecake, and a hybrid cheesecake/frittata, but ultimately landed on a spanakopita inspired cheesecake. I took a bottom up approach for this recipe as I wanted to challenge myself to use filo dough (sometimes spelled phyllo) for the crust which can be hard to work with. Once I established that, and wanting to stay in the savory realm, the choice of spankakoptita was fairly obvious. Spankakoptita is a Greek spinach, feta cheese, and filo “pie”, often served in the style of a lasagna or as small hors d’oeuvres. A dish containing cheese, a savory vegetable, and crispy dough checks all the boxes needed to compete in this challenge.

Alerts and Alternatives

A few things to remember as you make this recipe. Taste your feta before you use it.  Some brands are are more moist than others. I prefer a moister feta for this recipe. When frying your leeks keep your temperature low, otherwise the leeks will burn quickly. If you can’t be bothered to make these as personal cheesecakes this will work perfectly well as a large cheesecake. If you decide to make it as a large cheesecake you can use filo dough as a base or you can use a store bought frozen savory pie crust (not a shelf stable graham cracker crust like you would use for a sweet cheesecake).

Recipe: Personal Spanakopita Cheesecake Topped with Feta and Crispy Leeks

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Spanakopita Cheesecake
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Personal Spanakopita Cheesecakes Topped with Feta and Crispy Leeks
Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
45 mins
 

A twist on a Greek dish that is perfect for your Shavuot table.

Course: Appetizer, Side Dish
Cuisine: Greek, Holiday, Kosher
Keyword: Cheesecake, Spanakopita
Servings: 24
Author: Daniel Peikes
Ingredients
  • 1 lb Cream Cheese 2 bricks, allow to soften on the counter for an hour
  • 1 lb Ricotta Cheese
  • 2 Large Eggs
  • 2 lbs Fresh Spinach Washed and stems removed
  • 2 Large Onions Sliced
  • 1 Stick Unsalted Butter Melted
  • Kosher Salt For seasoning your spinach and onions
  • 2 Large Leeks Green part removed, white part cleaned, and sliced in to matchsticks
  • 1 lb Feta Cheese Crumbled
  • Vegetable Oil For Frying
  • 1-1 lb Package Filo Dough
Instructions

  1. Add 2 tablespoons of the melted butter to a large saute pan an place over medium heat. Add the onions and season with a heavy pinch of salt. Saute until the onions begin to brown.

  2. Add 2 more tablespoons of butter and the spinach to the pan. Season again with another heavy pinch of salt. Cook until the spinach has wilted, but be careful not to cook it too much as spinach shrinks significantly when cooked.

  3. Remove the spinach and onion mixture from the pan to the bowl from your mixer. Drain off any excess liquid. Allow to cool to room temperature.

  4. Add the cream cheese, ricotta, and eggs to the mixer Bowl. With the paddle attachment mix until thoroughly combined. You can do this in a mixing bowl with a spatula, but the stand mixer definitely makes it easier.

  5. Brush the muffin tins with melted butter. Cut the filo dough in to 48-3x3 inch squares, and brush each square with melted butter. Place two squares in each cup slightly off set from each other making sure to cover the entire side and bottom the muffin tin cup.

  6. Fill each cup 3/4 the way with the spinach and cream cheese mixture, about 3 tablespoons.

  7. Top each one with feta and bake for 45 minute. Allow to cool and remove from the muffin tins.

  8. Add a 1/4 inch of oil to a frying pan and place over low heat. Once the oil is hot add a handful of leeks at a time, and fry until they just turn golden brown. Be careful as the leeks can burn quickly.

  9. Top the cheesecakes with the leeks and serve immediately.

What’s your favorite kind of cheesecake? Have you ever made a savory cheesecake? If so what flavors did you use?

Don’t forget to check out Rachel’s savory cheesecake: Mini Crust-less Smoked Salmon Cheesecakes (Happy Shavuos!)

Mini Crust-less Smoked Salmon Cheesecakes (Happy Shavuos!)

Smoked Salmon Cheesecakes!

Happy almost-Shavuos!  The holiday of WAY too much dairy, lol!  Since the holiday starts in just a few days, why not go all-out with a savory cheesecake challenge!  And yet again, I’m channeling inspiration from my mother, and making mini savory crust-less smoked salmon cheesecakes!  These are the perfect little appetizer to serve at your Shavuos meal!

Of course you can make this into a giant cheesecake pie, but I prefer to make these mini versions since I’m not sure how many people would eat a whole slice filled with smoked salmon, capers, dill and green onion?  But hey, maybe you’re into that sorta thing! The mini versions are great served with crackers (bagel chips would be perfect), carrot sticks, celery or cucumbers.  It’s having a bagel with lox and cream cheese but in a fancier, party-spread kind of way!

Originally, I made this version with a crust, just to play around with it, but in the end I decided it didn’t need it! Since the whole point was to spread this on a bagel or cracker, or cucumber slice, the crust just didn’t add anything to the dish, and plus, it’s one less step in this recipe! And by all means, you can definitely make this a no-bake dish too by omitting the eggs.

Want to make this dairy-free?  Substitute the cream cheese for a dairy-free cheese, like using Tofutti, or my favorite brand, Kite Hill dairy-free cream cheese spread (they have a jalapeno flavor that is so good – pick it up at Whole Foods).

So have fun playing around with this new version of a cheesecake and Chag Sameach to all of our faithful followers!

Like the content on #MYV?  Make sure to comment below and of course, share this post on social media!

Recipe: Mini Crust-less Smoked Salmon Cheesecakes

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Smoked Salmon Cheesecake
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Mini Savory Crust-less Smoked Salmon Cheesecakes
Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
20 mins
 
Servings: 12 mini cheesecakes
Author: Rachel Katzman
Ingredients
Filling
  • 2 Bricks Cream Cheese, softened
  • 2 Egg, large
  • 4 oz. Smoked Salmon, chopped I used 1 package of the Trader Joe's Everything but the bagel seasoning smoked salmon (yum!)
  • 3 Green onions, chopped
  • 2 tbsp Dijon mustard
  • 1/4 tsp Salt
  • 1/4 tsp Pepper
  • 1/2 tsp Dried dill I happen to LOVE dill, so feel free to adjust to your taste - if you use fresh, just grab a handful and chop it up!
  • 2 tbsp Capers (optional) I like that salty, briny kick that capers bring to this creamy spread!
Instructions

  1. Pre-heat the oven to 325F, line a muffin tin with paper or silicon liners

  2. Add the cream cheese to a large bowl and using a hand mixer, beat until mixed together, about 30 seconds. Add in 1 egg at a time until fully mixed

  3. Add in the rest of the ingredients and spoon the filling in the pan

  4. Bake for 20 minutes or until no longer jiggly in the middle

  5. Cool for 10-15 minutes, peel the liner and enjoy! Serve with crackers or raw veggies

Don’t forget to check out Daniel’s savory take on cheesecakes: Personal Spanakopita Cheesecake Topped with Feta and Crispy Leeks

Looking for a light Shavuot menu check this out: Light and Easy Shavuot Menu

Herby Cabbage Salad – perfect for Passover!

Cabbage Salad with Parsley and Mint

I know I say this every year, but how is it Pesach already?  Well, believe it or not, recipes are popping up everywhere for the perfect Passover food.  Today’s recipe is for my Herby Cabbage salad!  This salad is super refreshing on a warm spring day and very simple to put together. You may be thinking that this might be TOO simple to serve during a Pesach meal, but I say why not!  Why does Pesach food have to be super carb-heavy, like you’re constantly in a food coma for 8 days straight?  And what about all that leftover parsley from seder?

Reviving Leftovers!

I know most people that use parsley for “Karpas” use the curly variety, and by all means, that works great in this salad!  The perfect combo of sweet and crunchy cabbage, sharp but mild green onion (or use thinly sliced red onion, if you prefer), tart and acidic lemon juice, salt, pepper, olive oil and of course, a boat-load of herbs.  I LOVE using fresh mint in so many recipes and this combo with the cabbage works so well.  Add in some chopped cucumber, or maybe some fresh chives or basil too (just be sure you wash everything well). This would also be good with a splash of apple cider vinegar

Maybe you have some leftover romaine that you use as “Maror” from seder night?  Chop that up and add it in there too! With salads, anything goes.

Simple.  Delicious.  Now those are words we can all live by!

Wishing you all a very happy, healthy and blessed Pesach – Chag Sameach everyone!

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Herby Cabbage Salad
Prep Time
15 mins
Total Time
15 mins
 
Servings: 4 people
Author: Rachel Katzman
Ingredients
  • 1 10 oz. bag Shredded red cabbage
  • 1/4 cup (or 1 handful) Fresh mint, chopped
  • 1/4 cup (or 1 handful) Fresh parsley, chopped
  • 1/4 cup Mayo homemade or store-bought
  • 1/4 Fresh lemon
  • 1/4 tsp Salt
  • 1/4 tsp Freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/4 tsp Garlic powder
  • 3 Green onions, sliced thin
Instructions

  1. In a large bowl, add cabbage, chopped mint, chopped parsley and sliced green onion. 

  2. Add mayo to a small bowl and mix in salt, pepper, garlic powder and lemon juice and mix well. 

  3. Pour dressing over the salad - make 1 hour ahead of serving so the dressing has time to marry with the cabbage and herbs. 

  4. Serve with matzah and toppings, like feta, cucumber and dill, cream cheese and smoked salmon, or quinoa hummus and sliced beet!

Gingerbread Hamantashen With Pumpkin Pie Filling

Gingerbread Pumpkin Pie HamantashenThe holiday of Purim will be here soon and that means one thing around here, hamantashen.  Hamantashen are triangular cookies usually filled with jam or jelly. They are meant to resemble the ear or hat of the antagonist from the Purim story, Haman. As I have stated in the past, I am not a baker.  Ask me to roast a big honking piece of meat, no problem, saute some vegetables, I can do that, but cookies and cakes are just not my speed. I usually leave the baking to my lovely wife, Ronit. Don’t get me wrong, I love eating baked goods of all sorts, but making them is just not my thing. That being said Purim wouldn’t be the same without hamantashen, so I stepped out of my comfort zone and gave it a shot.

As much as I love a good sugar cookie style hamantashen with a jam filling, for this recipe I wanted a hamantashen that was a little different.  I also wanted something with contrast and a pop of color. It’s still pretty cold in Chicago, so I was drawn to the warmer flavors of ginger and cinnamon and winter squash. Gingerbread seemed like an obvious choice with its dark color and strong flavor.  A pumpkin pie filling gives these hamantashen textural and chromatic contrast. The idea was also inspired by the fact that my kids are going through a Harry Potter phase which is the theme for our costumes and mishloach manot. Pumpkin seems to a recurring culinary theme in the wizarding world so I figured why not. Let us know what your favorite flavor hamantashen is in the comment.

Gingerbread Pumpkin Pie Hamantashen Recipe

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Gingerbread Pumpkin Pie Hamantashen
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Gingerbread Hamantashen With Pumpkin Pie Filling
Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
2 hrs
Resting Time
1 hr
Total Time
30 mins
 

A little something different than your average jelly filled hamantashen. The darker colored dough with the bright orange filling gives these some great visual appeal and the the warm flavor profile of the ginger and cinnamon really makes them pop in the flavor department.

Course: Dessert, Snack
Cuisine: Holiday, Jewish
Keyword: Hamantashen
Servings: 36 Pieces
Author: Daniel Peikes
Ingredients
Dough
  • 5 Cups Flour
  • 1 Cup Dark Brown Sugar
  • 4 Large Eggs
  • 1/2 Cup Vegetable Oil
  • 1 Cup Molasses
  • 2 tbsp Ground Ginger
  • 1 tbsp Ground Clove
  • 2 tbsp Cinnamon
  • 2 tbsp Nutmeg
  • 2 tsp Baking Powder
  • 1/2 tsp Salt
  • 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
  • 1/4 cup Water
Filling
  • 1 Large Butternut Squash
  • 1/4 tbsp Real Maple Syrup Not pancake syrup
  • 1 tbsp Salt
  • 1 tbsp Ground Ginger
  • 1 tbsp Nutmeg
  • 1 tbsp Cinnamon
Special Equipment
  • 3" Round Pastry Ring or Cookie Cutter
  • Stand Mixer With whisk and dough hook attachments
  • Cookie Sheet
  • Parchment Paper
  • Aluminum Foil
Instructions
Dough

  1. Using your stand mixer with the whisk attached beat together the eggs, vanilla, molasses, oil, and brown sugar until thoroughly combined

  2. Switch to the dough hook and add the flour, salt, baking powder, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg and clove. Mix on low until the dough starts to come together. It should look like small pebbles at this point.

  3. Slowly start adding the water a little bit at a time until the dough starts to come together. It should take about a 1/4 cup but you may need a little more or less. Once it comes together, stop adding water and let it mix a little longer until it forms a smooth ball.

  4. Wrap in plastic and rest in the refrigerator for at least an hour.

Filling

  1. Preheat your oven to 350°F. Using a heavy serrated knife cut the squash in half the long way and scoop out the seeds. Drizzle on the maple syrup and then sprinkle on the salt, ginger, nutmeg, and cinnamon.

  2. Put the two halves back together and wrap in foil.  Bake until soft, about 90 minutes.

  3. Allow the squash to cool and the scoop out the flesh from the skin using a large metal spoon. Using a fork or a potato masher, mash until you achieve the desired consistency.  If the mixture seems a bit wet feel free to drain out some of the liquid.

Final Assembly and Baking

  1. Roll out your dough about 1/4" thick and cut 3" rounds. Place a 1 teaspoon of your filling in the middle and fold the edges up in to a triangle.

  2. Place the hamantashen on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Bake until they start to brown on the edges, about 10 minutes. Allow the hamantashen to cool and serve or wrap and freeze.

Ok now that the baking is done I am going to go smoke a brisket.  While I do that don’t forget to check out Rachel’s latest hamantaschen recipe: Blackberry Cheesecake Hamantashen! or some of our other hamantaschen recipes:

Purim: Texas Chili With Cowboy Candy Hamantaschen

Not one, but TWO healthy Hamantaschen!

Barbecue Chicken Hamantaschen

Low carb lemon poppyseed coconut hamantaschen

Blackberry Cheesecake Hamantashen

Happy Purim readers!

May I present you with my blackberry cheesecake hamantashen!  These “hummies” are gluten-free, keto-friendly, simple-to-make and delicious – trust me!  If you want to make these completely dairy-free, you can substitute with parve cream cheese in the filling.  The dough is dairy-free since I used coconut oil, but you can definitely substitute with butter!

Savory Hamantashen?

Everywhere you look, there are new and exciting recipes popping up for Purim, and looks that that savory is beating out sweet this year.

A few years ago, my mother-in-law hosted a “Rosh Chodesh Adar” party for her friends and she made crowd-pleasing savory hamantashen filled with ground beef and onions. The dough was crispy with a chewy center, the meat was sweet yet savory, and the onions were caramelized to perfection. Gosh, now I’m getting hungry – and I don’t even eat meat!

While savory hamantashen have been hogging all the spotlight the last few years, I am going back to my roots.

A childhood classic

I remember my mom making hamantashen from scratch when I was a kid.  Of course, classics like poppy seed and apricot were always our go-to’s, but it was her strawberry cheesecake and chocolate peanut butter fillings that I remembered the most.  They were different, yet utterly delicious.

What about my mom’s berry cheesecake “hummies“?  They were the perfect bite – a creamy, slightly tart and sweet filling, surrounded by perfectly golden brown crispy dough in the familiar triangular-shaped Purim cookie.  This reminds me of home. 🙂

So thank you mom, for this year’s inspiration!

Wishing you all a Freilichin Purim!

0 from 0 votes
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Blackberry Cheesecake Hamantashen
Prep Time
20 mins
Cook Time
15 mins
Total Time
45 mins
 
Servings: 20 hamantashen (approx.)
Author: Rachel Katzman
Ingredients
Dough
  • 2 cups finely ground almond flour
  • 1/4 cup sugar (or sugar substitute, like Swerve) I like using the confectioner's Swerve in most recipes!
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp lemon juice add the zest of a half a lemon if you have a fresh lemon handy!
  • 1 large egg
  • 2 1/2 tbsp coconut oil, melted You can use butter instead, if you prefer
  • 1/8 tsp maple extract or vanilla extract if you have it!
Blackberry cheesecake filling
  • 1/4 cup fresh blackberries you can use frozen, just make sure they're thawed and drained of any excess liquid
  • 1/4 cup sugar (or sugar substitute, like Swerve)
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice (optional) I like ANYTHING tart, so feel free to omit if this would be too tart for you
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/8 tsp vanilla extract
  • 2 oz. cream cheese, softened You can use parve cream cheese to make this recipe completely dairy-free!
Instructions

  1. To make the dough:  Add all ingredients into a large bowl and mix with a wooden spoon until the dough comes together. 

  2. If the dough it too wet, add a bit more almond flour; if it's too dry, add a few tablespoons of water and knead until it's no longer clumpy

  3. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and stick in the fridge for 15 minutes.

  4. Meanwhile, make the filling:  In a medium-sized saucepan, add the blackberries, sugar (or Swerve, if using), lemon juice (if using), salt, and vanilla extract.

  5. Cook on medium heat until the ingredients come together and the blackberries have softened and released their juices and the mixture thickens, about 10 minutes.  Be careful not to overcook and burn the filling. 

  6. Let the filling cool for 10 minutes, then add to a bowl with the softened cream cheese and stir until fully mixed but you still see some "swirls"  - you don't want the mixture to be TOO mixed into one giant purple blob.

  7. Pre-heat the oven to 375F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

  8. Take the dough out of the fridge, and (using damp hands), roll out the dough into 1/4 inch thickness, and using a small glass, press in the dough to make circular cut-outs.

  9. Stretch the dough a bit (if it's too dry, add a touch more water), and add a tsp of filling right in the center of the circle - if ever in doubt, add less filling than you'd think - you don't want to over-stuff the hamantashen. 

  10. Fold up the sides to make a triangle and place on the parchment paper.

  11. Cook for about 15 minutes, until golden brown and crispy - but watch the oven carefully so they don't get too dark. 

  12. Let cool and devour!

*This post contains affiliate links. We at MYV (Meat Your Vegetables) earn a small commission if you purchase an item through one of those links, which allows us to continue bringing you great tasting food!  Cheers to that!

Happy Tu BiShvat! Coffee Coconut Date Balls

Happy Tu BiShvat, a.k.a. Rosh Hashanah for the trees!  In honor of this special New Year, why not challenge Daniel to an ingredient showdown and feature one of the 7 species – the humble date!  No, I’m not talking about a romantic walk on the beach or a candlelight dinner with your boo, but rather the sweet and sticky dessert-like treat that is native to Israel (sorry, I couldn’t help it)!  Dates are so versatile and they can be used in both savory and sweet treats!

So while Daniel may be whipping up something deliciously decadent and laden with meat (obviously), I’m going old school.  This was one of the first recipes I developed for my other (food and fashion) blog riskyveggie.com.  It’s been such a favorite among my readers and fellow food-eaters that I’ve done different versions of it over the years as well (mocha chocolate chip date balls, poppy-seed vanilla date balls – you name it)!  But time and time again, I always come back to this classic.

This is the dessert treat that I’m known to make for a family with a new baby – since it’s the perfect bite for nursing mothers!  My friend Joy had a baby a few years ago and of course I made her and her family a feast of a dinner and included a batch of these date balls.  She emailed me immediately and said it was the perfect middle-of-the-night bite when she needed some sustenance as she nurses her newborn at 3 a.m.  Granted, you can always omit the coffee, though it’s not a lot in the whole batch but if you are sensitive to it, just don’t include it!  What’s great too is that this recipe is so versatile and a great base for making it your own.  Sometimes I add cinnamon or maybe a scoop of vanilla protein powder or vanilla extract.  Sometimes I mix up the different coffee flavors!  And I might even add a few tablespoons of raw cocoa powder to amp up the richness of these bites of heaven.

My favorite part is how little time it takes to whip up a batch.  Add your ingredients into a food processor, roll them into balls, dust with coconut, freeze or refrigerate on wax paper until firm.  That’s it.  No oven to pre-heat or dough to make, or waiting for the dough to rise, or even a gazillion steps or ingredients.  But probably my FAV part about making these?  Even my picky-eating husband is a fan.

L’chaim to that! 🙂

5 from 1 vote
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Coffee Coconut Date Balls
Prep Time
20 mins
Freez
2 hrs
Total Time
22 mins
 
Servings: 20 Date Balls
Author: Rachel Katzman
Ingredients
  • 1 cup Dates I like Deglet Noor - they're softer and they come pitted in a big container from Costco (make your prep so much easier)
  • 2/3 cup Nuts Any type you have on hand is good - I like to mix it up between pecans, almonds, walnuts and cashews
  • 2 tbsp Ground Coffee I don't mind using ground coffee in this recipe but you could always add some cold brew or cooled coffee
  • 1 tsp Cinnamon
  • 1/2 cup Unsweetened Dairy-Free milk I like using almond milk
  • 1 cup, divided into 1/2 cups Unsweetened Shredded Coconut
  • 1 pinch Sea salt
  • 1 tsp Vanilla Extract Optional (or you could do maple extract which would be delish)
Instructions

  1. Add the nuts into the bowl of a food processor and grind until finely ground (don't over-process or you'll end up with nut butter).

  2. Add the dates, 1/2 cup of coconut coconut, nut milk, cinnamon, coffee, vanilla (if using) and salt.

  3. Pulse until the mixture comes together kind of like a sticky dough.  Check the consistency to make sure it's dry enough to roll into a ball but not too sticky where it won't form.  

  4. Using a mini ice cream scoop, form the mixture into small balls and roll in the other 1/2 cup of shredded coconut.

  5. Place on a sheet of wax paper and freeze for 2 hours until firm or you can set them in the fridge.  If it's warm outside, it'll take a bit longer to set up, but they'll still be firm enough to eat.  I like mine frozen so I keep some there, anytime I need to deliver a batch of these date balls!

Don’t forget to check out Daniel’s Tu BiShvat date recipe: Mergez Stuffed Dates Wrapped in Beef Bacon