After-Pesach Muffins

I'm a big muffin fan.

Muffins are an easy way to pack fruit, nuts and fiber into a few easy-to-make delicious bites. They make a quick snack and are perfect with fresh fruit and tea on Shabbat morning.

How did I end up with muffins after Passover this year? Normally we eat home-made granola for breakfast. But immediately after Pesach, that's a problem. I usually make granola in large quantities – enough to last a month or so, and who has time and energy to do that right after Passover?

So we bought a box of muesli to tide us over. Muesli is the unbaked version of granola, without sweetener and oil. Ours had rolled oats, wheat, bran and lots of raisins.  It was fine for a few days, until I was ready to make my own granola. Then I was left with almost a full box of muesli. Here's what I made:

Muesli Muffins (Dairy)

1¼ cups muesli

1¼ cups low-fat buttermilk

¾ cup whole-wheat pastry flour

1 ¼ teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

¼ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon cinnamon

¼ cup canola oil

1 egg

1/3 cup brown sugar

Combine the muesli and buttermilk in a bowl and set aside for 30 minutes.

Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon.

Preheat the oven to 400 F (200 C) and line 12 muffin cups with paper liners.

After the muesli has softened in the buttermilk for 30 minutes, add the oil, egg, brown sugar and flour mixture and gently mix everything together. Don't over mix.

Spoon the batter into the muffin cups and bake for 15-20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean. These do not rise much.

Remove to a baking rack to cool.

Makes 12 muffins

Pre-Pesach Leftovers: Turn (some of) them into Granola Bars

After Purim, many of us start thinking about Pesach. I'm not the "Spring Cleaning" type, but I have started going through my pantry and refrigerator. I actually enjoy the challenge of using up leftovers. I just tried this recipe, using some of my own leftovers. I'm not a big granola bar fan, but these are yummy. Soft, not too sweet and certainly healthier than most anything you can buy. And ...they don't even need to be baked. Just mix, refrigerate and cut them up!

There's plenty of room for variations: Use any chopped dried fruit instead of raisins; or peanut butter chips instead of chocolate chips; Double or halve the recipe.

No-Bake Granola Bars

1 cup granola (homemade or store bought)

½ cup raw oatmeal (regular or quick-cooking)

½ cup chocolate chips or raisins

¼ cup finely chopped walnuts or almonds

¼ cup honey or date syrup (silan)

1 cup natural peanut butter (smooth or chunky)

Mix granola, oatmeal chocolate chips and walnuts in a bowl. Stir in the honey and peanut butter. Mix well. Spray an 8-inch (20-cm) square baking pan with non-stick spray. Spread the mixture evenly in the pan and refrigerate for an hour or so.

Turn the pan upside down on a cutting board and cut into bars or squares. Wrap each bar in plastic wrap and refrigerate until you're ready for a little snack.

Purim – Mishloach Manot Ideas

I don't go all out with mishloach manot (Purim food gifts). Maybe it's because I packed thousands of them during 12 years of running a kosher gift business. I just remember the shipping boxes stacked up along walls and under the tables. By time I got to the synagogue to hear the Megillah reading, I was barely awake.

In our neighborhood, people have pared way back on Purim gifts. Cards to one's favorite charity are more common, especially when extra calories are not always appreciated (at least by us older folks!)

But one must still satisfy the mitzvah of giving edible Purim gifts to at least two people. And children do enjoy the thrill of getting goodie packages.

This year I found decorative but inexpensive 5-inch (13 cm) square metal containers at a local cosmetics/jewelry shop. Earlier in the month I made half a batch of lemon poppy seed cake, baked it in cupcake tins and froze them. I'll stuff dates with marzipan – both in the refrigerator and needing to be gone before Pesach. We'll buy a bag of juicy tangerines to include in our gifts.

As a finishing touch, I'll add a few chocolate-dipped pretzel sticks that my granddaughter Karen just made with me. It's an easy, fun (and messy!) project that your children or grandchildren will enjoy doing with you.

Chocolate-Dipped Pretzel Sticks

Pretzel sticks – I found whole-wheat pretzels made with liquid vegetable oil and covered with sesame seeds.

Chocolate – We used a bar of parve bittersweet chocolate. You can use chocolate chips too.

Canola oil

Candy sprinkles – Optional; Karen decided not to dip all of the sticks in sprinkles.

Washcloth for wiping chocolate from hands, face and clothing.

Break up the chocolate in a pyrex measuring cup (this just makes it easier for children to hold the container). Add a teaspoon or so of canola oil. Microwave it on low power, stirring occasionally, until it's melted.

Lay out wax, parchment or sandwich paper on cookie sheets (for the finished sticks). Lay another piece on the counter or table and pour some of the sprinkles on it.

Dip half of each pretzel stick into the chocolate (a spoon helps spread and catch the drips). Roll the chocolate in the sprinkles and place on the paper-lined cookie sheet. Either set the finished sticks aside to harden, or refrigerate them for a short time. Store them in an air-tight container at room temperature.

CHAG PURIM SAMEACH!

HAPPY PURIM!

Apricot Jam – Easy on the Sugar and Easy on You

Between the fruit trees in our yard and the nearby orchards (now subdivisions), there was always a surplus of summer fruit when I was growing up. First my mother made pies, and then jelly and jam. I remember pouring a layer of melted wax over the jelly – an old (and not very safe) method for sealing.

Now I still enjoy making jam, but usually in small batches. Last year I made cardamom fig preserves and apricot jam. When this year's crop of berries arrived from the Golan, I made blackberry jelly, raspberry preserves with berry liqueur and cherry jam.

Making jam does take time and effort. Between standing over the stove and stirring, cleaning jars and processing them in a water bath, it's definitely a project. And then there's the sugar. Jam takes a huge amount of sugar – most recipes call for equal weights of fruit and sugar.

Then I found a recipe for apricot jam that I had cut from a magazine ten years ago. (Yes, in addition to keeping recipes on my computer, I still clip and file.) It's nearly effortless and it uses just a little sugar and no pectin. (That's also good, because pectin isn't available in Israel.)

Pit and cut up the apricots. Add a small amount of sugar and lemon juice. Microwave.

Between cooking for a few minutes in the microwave, the jam cools for up to 3 hours before getting zapped a few more times. That's about it. There's no water-bath processing, so you'll have to store this jam in the refrigerator. It should last for several weeks.

Of course, I had to play around with the recipe. I used demerara sugar instead of white and added Amaretto to the first batch. The second batch has chopped candied ginger (I'm sure I used too much – but that just means more for me!) and a splash of orange juice.

Apricot season just ended here, but next week I'm hoping to try the recipe with plums.

PS We're not big jam eaters, but I still find plenty of uses for it. A small spoonful is wonderful with plain or frozen yogurt. I recently used homemade blackberry jam to fill two layers of a very simple birthday cake. I'm thinking of some apricot jam, white wine and herbs for this Shabbat's roast chicken. I also like to pour the jam into small glass jars and give them as gifts.

Microwave Apricot Jam (adapted from Sunset Magazine)

1 ¼ pounds (½ kilo) fresh apricots

2 tablespoons lemon juice

½ cup sugar (white or demerara)

2 tablespoons Amaretto, orange-flavored liqueur or orange juice

Wash and pit the apricots. Cut them into quarters and put them into a large microwave-safe bowl. (I use an 8-cup Pyrex measuring cup.) Add the sugar and lemon juice to the apricots and mix.

Heat the mixture in the microwave, on full power, for 6 to 8 minutes, until it boils. Take it out, stir gently and let it sit at room temperature for at least 1 hour and up to 3 hours.

Microwave the mixture again for 5 or 6 minutes, or until it comes to a full boil. Take it out, stir and let sit again for 1-3 hours.

Now stir in the liqueur or juice and microwave for 12-15 minutes, stirring every 4 minutes. You should see lots of big bubbles. Pour the jam into clean jars (I pour boiling water into them so they're sparkling clean.) Cover, cool and store in the refrigerator.

Makes 2 cups

A New Season, A New Look

Summer's here. Enjoy this delicious summer recipe along with our new blog design.

Favorite Summer Fruit Tart (Dairy)

This has become our very favorite summer fruit tart for special dairy meals. It's a snap to put together using the food processor, and you can choose from a variety of summer fruits that are in season right now. My very favorite version is apricot – the tart fruit goes perfectly with the sweet almond crust. I use un-blanched almonds and whole-wheat pastry flour. And I tend to squeeze in as much fruit as will fit!

½ cup (2.5 ounces/70 grams) almonds

¾ cup (5 ounces/150 grams) sugar

¼ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon almond extract

¾ cup (3.4 ounces/95 grams) flour (all-purpose or whole-wheat pastry)

½ teaspoon baking powder

3 tablespoons (1.5 ounces /50 grams) butter

1 egg

6-12 fresh apricots, plums, peaches or nectarines

1 tablespoon demerara sugar for sprinkling on top, optional

Preheat the oven to 375 F/190 C.

Line a 9.5" (24cm) tart pan (with removable bottom) with parchment paper. Spray the paper and the sides of the pan with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.

Combine the almonds, sugar, salt and almond extract in the bowl of a food processor. Process until the almonds are finely ground. Add the flour and baking powder and pulse to mix. Cut the butter into pieces and add it to the mixture along with the egg. Pulse the mixture until it begins to clump together. Press the dough evenly on the bottom (not the sides!) of the pan.

Depending on the size of the fruit, cut it in halves or quarters. Starting from the outer edge of the pan, arrange the fruit, skin side up, in circles. Cut the fruit, if necessary, to fill in the center. If desired, sprinkle the demerara sugar over the fruit.

Bake for 35-45 minutes, or until the crust is golden and the fruit is bubbly. Cool the tart on a baking rack. After about 15 minutes, carefully loosen the sides of the tart from the pan with a small sharp knife. (This will make it easier to remove the sides of the pan.) When the tart is cooler, remove the rim of the pan.

Serves 8

Shabbat Morning

What do you serve when you get home from services on Shabbat morning? Some people enjoy a Kiddush at the synagogue. Then they come home to eat their main meal at around noon. Others, especially in Israel, are home by nine or ten in the morning, when it's just too early to eat a big meal.

We make Kiddush and then enjoy muffins, fruit and tea.

Why do I like muffins? They're quick and easy to make. They freeze well and they're healthy. With a little imagination, you can create endless varieties.

For instance, last Shabbat we had blueberry cornmeal muffins and fresh grapes. Why? Because I found a bag of blueberries in the back of the freezer, leftover from last year's crop. And because the grapes I found at the market – a large green seedless variety, were delicious.

What's on the menu for this coming Shabbat? With more hot weather this week, our bananas ripened faster than we could eat them. And I happened to have half a bag of chocolate chunks in the pantry. (Have you seen the Scharffen Berger Bittersweet Baking Chunks? Wow!) So it's banana-chocolate chip muffins and a fruit salad of fresh melon and new-season apricots.

Muffins "Any Which Way" (Dairy)

Create endless variations by starting with this basic muffin recipe. Use less flour if you're adding dryer ingredients (like dried fruit and nuts), and the full amount of flour if the ingredients are moist (like frozen berries). Use whole-wheat pastry or light whole-wheat flour if it's available. Otherwise you can substitute white for some of the wheat flour. When I use all whole-wheat flour, I use the lesser amount. Here are some ideas:

Blueberry: 1 ½ cups blueberries plus 2 teaspoons lemon zest

Raspberry: 1 ½ cup raspberries plus 2 teaspoons orange zest

Banana chocolate: 1 large banana, diced plus ½ cup chocolate chips

Date and Nut: 1 cup chopped dates plus 1 cup chopped walnuts

Apple Spice: 1 cup diced fresh apples plus 1 teaspoon cinnamon

Apricot Ginger: 1 cup diced dried apricot, ½ cup diced candied ginger and 2 teaspoons ground ginger

Corn: Substitute 1 cup cornmeal for 1 cup of flour and add 1 ½ cups corn kernels

2 ¼ - 2 ½ cups whole-wheat flour (see note above)

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

½ cup sugar (white or brown)

1 1/3 cups buttermilk

1/3 cup canola oil

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

1-2 cups fruit or fruits and nuts (see above)

Line 12-18 muffin tins with paper liners.

Preheat the oven to 375 F (190 C).

In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and sugar.

In a smaller bowl or a 2-cup measuring cup, mix together buttermilk, oil, eggs and vanilla.

Gently mix the wet ingredients into the flour mixture. Just before it's all mixed, add in the fruit. Mix the batter just a little more to incorporate all of the ingredients. Don't over mix or the muffins will be tough.

Bake the muffins for 20-20 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Turn the muffins out onto a rack to cool.

Makes 12-18

An Easy Soup for Pesach

Carrot Soup (Parve)

Braise some carrots with oil and sugar. Add water and cook. This simple soup is easy to put together during the busy week of Pesach. For an interesting variation, substitute a cup of orange juice for water. Chopped parsley makes a nice garnish.

2 pounds (1 kilo) carrots, peeled and sliced

1 cup water

2 tablespoons vegetable or olive oil

1 ½ teaspoons sugar

Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

8 cups water

Put the carrots, 1 cup of water, oil, sugar, salt and pepper in a large pan. Cook on high heat until the mixture boils. Reduce the heat, cover and cook for 5 minutes.

Uncover the pan and cook over medium-high heat, until the water evaporates and the carrots are tender. Cook the carrots, stirring occasionally, until they're glazed. It's alright if they brown just a little.

Add the rest of the water and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and cook covered for 10-15 minutes, until the carrots are completely soft.

Puree the soup with an immersion blender.

6-8 servings

Pesach Cookies

Here are two of my favorite Passover cookie recipes. Gorgeous, delicious and full of healthy almonds.

Sienna Macaroons (Parve)

Plan ahead before you make these cookies, as they need to sit overnight (or 8-10 hours) before baking.

2 ¼ cups blanched almonds

¾ cup sugar, divided

2 egg whites

Pinch of salt

2 teaspoons lemon zest

½ teaspoon vanilla extract (or 1 packet vanilla sugar)

½ teaspoon almond extract (optional)

Powdered sugar

Put the almonds in the bowl of a food processor with 2 tablespoons of the sugar. Process until finely ground. Set aside.

With an electric mixer, beat the egg whites and salt until they are stiff and dry. Gradually beat in the remaining sugar.

Fold in the lemon zest, vanilla and almond extracts. Add the ground almonds and mix well. The mixture should be firm.

Put some powdered sugar in a shallow bowl. Coat your hands with the sugar and shape the dough into small diamonds (about 1 x 1 ½ inches; 2.5 x 4 cm). Use the powdered sugar to keep the dough from sticking to your hands.

Place the cookies on parchment-lined baking trays. Let them sit at room temperature overnight, or about 8 to 10 hours.

Preheat the oven to 250 F (120 C). Bake the cookies for 20-30 minutes, until they are slightly golden and cracked. Cool them completely on a baking rack. Dust them with powdered sugar before serving.

Makes about 36 cookies

Faux Florentine Cookies (Parve)

2 ¾ cups sliced almonds

1 cup powdered sugar

2 egg whites

Finely grated zest of one orange

Parve chocolate (optional)

Preheat the oven to 300 F (150 C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and spray the paper with non-stick baking spray.

In a medium size bowl, gently combine the almonds, sugar, egg whites and orange zest.

Drop scant tablespoons of the mixture on the baking sheets, leaving plenty of space between each one. Dip your fingers in water and flatten each cookie into a very thin disc. It should be as flat as possible, but still cohesive. Each cookie will be about 2 ½ inches (6 cm) wide.

Bake for about 10 minutes, until lightly browned. Cool completely before carefully removing each cookie with a spatula.

For chocolate coated cookies, gently melt the chocolate in a double boiler or microwave. Brush one side of each cooled cookie with the warm chocolate. Cool them on a rack, chocolate side up, until the chocolate hardens.

Store these cookies in an air-tight container.

Makes about 40 small cookies

Grain Gratins

What's a gratin? It certainly wasn't anything in my mother's repertoire. Well – actually it was. But she called it a casserole.

If you want to get technical, a gratin is baked in a shallow pan and a casserole in a deeper one. Both are served in the dish they're baked in. I envision a gratin having a rich creamy interior and a crispy crust. A casserole brings to mind a thriftier concoction of leftovers mixed with sauce to stretch into another meal.

Here's the basic idea of a gratin based on grains:

Combine cooked rice (or other whole grain), a vegetable, sauce and a little cheese; mix them together and put it into a shallow baking dish; sprinkle with bread crumbs and bake. That's it!

The sauce (called béchamel) doesn't have to be a high fat, high calorie fancy French affair. You can make it with low-fat or non-fat milk or even vegetable stock. Use olive or canola oil instead of butter. Make the sauce in the microwave to cut the prep time in half. You can even mix it all together in the morning and bake it just before serving. What could be easier?

Since I nearly always serve a whole grain for Shabbat dinner, I prepare more than I need so I'll have "planned" leftovers for another meal during the week. I'm careful to keep grains parve, so they can be served with meat on Erev Shabbat and later as part of a dairy meal.

Here's what I made from last Shabbat's leftover red rice:

Rice and Broccoli Gratin

Prepare a white sauce in the microwave:

Put 2 tablespoons of canola oil and 1/4 cup finely minced onion into a 4-cup Pyrex measuring cup. Microwave the onions for a minute or two, until they're soft. Whisk 2 tablespoons of flour into the oil and onions and microwave for another minute. Whisk in 1 1/2 cups of low-fat milk and microwave, whisking occasionally, for 2-4 minutes, until the sauce is thick and starts to boil.

Meanwhile, cut leftover steamed broccoli (a cup or two) into bite-sized pieces. Put it into a mixing bowl with 2 cups of cooked red rice. Shred a little kashkeval (or other variety) cheese into the bowl. Season the mixture with salt and pepper.

Pour the cooked sauce over the rice mixture and mix it all up. Pour it into a lightly greased shallow casserole or pie pan and sprinkle some bread crumbs over the whole thing. Bake at 400 F (200 C) for 20-35 minutes, until it's heated through and bubbly.

Citrus Compote (Parve)

Now that our kumquat tree is loaded with ripe fruit, I've been making this compote a lot. It makes a lovely Shabbat dessert. The recipe is very flexible – use red grapefruit, blood oranges, pomelos or whatever citrus is available. I often use just oranges and tangerines. Add a dash of orange-flavored liqueur or orange extract to the syrup if you'd like. You can even skip the kumquats. (Recipe adapted from Deborah Madison's Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone)

8-12 fresh kumquats

½ cup orange juice

2 tablespoons sugar

1 tablespoon orange zest (preferably organic)

8-10 pieces assorted citrus fruit

Slice the kumquats, remove any seeds and set aside. Bring the orange juice and sugar to a boil in a small saucepan. Add the kumquats and orange zest to the syrup and simmer for 10 minutes. Set aside.

Peel and seed the citrus fruit, removing as much of the white pith as possible. Slice the fruit into rounds or smaller pieces, depending on the size of the fruit and your preference. Save all of the juice and put it into a bowl with the cut up fruit. Pour the syrup over the fruit and mix well. Refrigerate until cold.

Cauliflower – Vegetable, Pasta Sauce or Soup (Parve)

I like cauliflower. Not just because it's one of those good-for-you cruciferous vegetables that dietitians rave about. I find it visually attractive, tasty and very versatile. If you need convincing, here's an easy and delicious recipe.

Use half a cup of broth and serve as a vegetable. More broth turns it into pasta sauce. Add the full amount and you have soup. Serve with a sprinkling of grated parmesan or pecorino cheese, if you'd like.

By the way, this technique works well with broccoli too.

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 onion, cut in half and thinly sliced

1 tablespoon minced fresh garlic

1 medium head cauliflower, separated into small florets

½ to 4 cups vegetable broth (homemade is best; find out how)

Salt and freshly ground pepper

Heat the olive oil in a large sauté or saucepan. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until it's soft and beginning to brown. Add the garlic and cauliflower and cook, stirring, until the cauliflower begins to soften. This should take between 5 and 10 minutes.

Add the vegetable broth, salt and pepper. (See instructions above for the amount of broth to use.) Bring to a simmer and cook just until the cauliflower is just tender. Don't let it get mushy!

Simple Carrot Soup with Variations (Parve)

Braise carrots. Add water and cook a little longer. Sounds boring? This simple soup will surprise you. For an interesting variation, substitute one cup of orange juice for a cup of the water. Or use honey instead of sugar. Add Dijon mustard, curry powder or other herbs and spices. Chopped parsley, toasted pumpkin seeds or small croutons make a nice garnish.

2 pounds (1 kilo) carrots, peeled and sliced

1 cup water

2 tablespoons canola oil

1 ½ teaspoons sugar

Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

8 cups water

Put the carrots, 1 cup of water, oil, sugar, salt and pepper in a large pan. Cook on high heat until the mixture boils. Reduce the heat, cover and cook for 5 minutes.

Uncover the pan and cook over medium-high heat, until the water evaporates and the carrots are tender. Cook the carrots, stirring occasionally, until they're glazed. It's alright if they brown just a little.

Add the rest of the water and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and cook covered for 10-15 minutes, until the carrots are completely soft.

Puree the soup with an immersion blender.

6-8 servings

Dinner in 10 Minutes

I got in late this afternoon, with no idea what I'd make for dinner. Was there enough leftover potato soup from Shabbat? Would it be omelets again? We just ordered pizza the other day. It was six and I was already feeling hungry.

What was in the refrigerator? Leftover cooked farro (a whole-grain related to wheat), blanched beet greens, soup, broccoli, mushrooms, tofu and the usual assortment of cheese, eggs, carrots, peppers, cucumbers and tomatoes. I didn't have the energy to explore our completely stuffed freezer.

Broccoli and tofu? Stir-fry sounded too ambitious and time consuming. The soup was good, but we'd been eating it for the last four days.

Leftover grains, beans, pasta and vegetables can usually be transformed into an enjoyable meal on short notice. Tonight I created "Farro and Greens":

Sauté a small onion in some olive oil. While the onions are cooking, take a handful of dried cherry tomatoes from the freezer and cut them in half. (Fortunately they were right at the front; otherwise, I never would have seen them.) Coarsely chop the cooked beet greens. When the onions are soft, add the farro and cook for a minute or two. Add the vegetables and season with salt and pepper. Serve with parmesan crackers that just happened to fall out of the freezer with the cherry tomatoes.

Grains Made Easy - Without a Mix

A "10-Minute" pre-cooked grain mix (see my previous blog) is nice to have around when you're really in a hurry. But it's very easy (and a lot less expensive) to cook most grains at home with a minimum of fuss. All you need is a saucepan, water and the grain of your choice.

Put the grain in the saucepan. Add water to cover by at least an inch (2.5 cm). If excess sodium isn't a concern, add a pinch of salt. Now bring it all to a boil and cook until the grain is done to your liking.

That's it!

It works for long grain rice (brown, red, wild and white), quinoa, barley, wheat berries, faro, spelt, whole oats, couscous, cracked wheat and kasha.

I suggest that you rinse grains in a strainer before cooking them and drain them well when they're done. Some grains cook faster than others, so you'll need to taste occasionally to know when they're ready. Couscous, for instance, might take 5-7 minutes, while wheat berries may take an hour or so. If the water starts to evaporate before the grain is cooked, add more boiling water to cover.

Toss the finished grain with olive oil, herbs and vegetables for a great salad or side dish. (Sautéed onions and mushrooms make a great addition to most any grain.) If you don't plan to use the grain right away, mix it with a little olive oil and store it in the refrigerator.

Looking to save even more time? Cook up a double or triple batch of grain. Use what you want now and store the rest for later. Grains can be refrigerated for several days and frozen for a few months.

Grains and Beans Made Easy

I’m a big fan of whole grains and beans. They're full of vitamins, minerals, complex carbohydrates and protein. They're a great source of fiber – a nutrient that most of us don't get nearly enough of. They're low-fat, salt-free, vegetarian and parve. They're versatile and they're delicious.

But most people stay away from them. They take too long to cook. They need to be pre-soaked. How many of us have time for that?

Thanks to the Israeli company Sugat, it's now easier than ever to eat grains and beans. Their "10-minute Collection" includes six mixes that take just 10 minutes to cook. They include grains like barley, spelt, rice, kasha and kamut as well as red, yellow and brown lentils and split peas.

How can whole grains and legumes cook in just 10 minutes? Sugat has done a little pre-cooking for us. All you do is bring some water to a boil. Add the mix and cook for 10 minutes. (I tried the Five-Grain Blend and found that it cooked to my liking in just 7 minutes.) Drain the grains and serve.

The possibilities are endless: Patties, pies, salads, soup, side dish or main course. I added vegetables an egg and cheese and used it to stuff red peppers. The next day I heated the leftovers with milk and cinnamon and enjoyed it as a breakfast cereal. The (English) website has lots of yummy sounding recipes for inspiration.

Look for these mixes in (Israeli) grocery stores near the packaged rice, grains and beans.

Soup and Cornbread in the Sukkah

Soup and quick breads - breads made with baking powder or baking soda rather than yeast, are a great lunch or dinner choice during Sukkot. You can prepare soup ahead of time and make the bread just before dinner. The beauty of quick breads is that they really are quick - you can mix them together in less than five minutes!

Here's a quick cornbread recipe. Try it with Red Lentil Soup for a delicious warm meal in your Sukkah. Chag Sameach!

Buttermilk Cornbread (Dairy)

¾ cup cornmeal

¾ cup all-purpose flour

1 ½ tablespoons baking powder

1 tablespoon sugar

½ teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

2 eggs

2 tablespoons canola oil

1 ½ cups buttermilk

Preheat the oven to 425 F (220 C).

Line a 9 “(23 cm) square baking pan with parchment paper and spray with non-stick cooking spray.

Whisk together the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, sugar, baking soda and salt.

Using the same whisk beat the eggs slightly and then mix with the oil and buttermilk to combine. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and stir just to combine.

Pour the batter into the baking pan and bake for 15-25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

6-8 servings

Olive Oil Cake

This light-textured sponge cake is not too rich, yet full of flavor. Serve it with fresh or cooked fruit. On Rosh Hashanah I served it with oven-poached figs and a small scoop of home-made honey ice cream.

It would be perfect for breaking the fast after Yom Kippur.

Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 ½ teaspoons baking powder

¼ teaspoon salt

1 cup sugar, divided

4 eggs, separated

½ cup extra-virgin olive oil

1/3 cup fresh orange or tangerine juice or half juice and half citrus liqueur

Grated zest of one lemon, orange or tangerine, preferably organic

Method:

Line the bottom of a 10" (25 cm) spring form pan with parchment paper. Spray the bottom and sides with non-stick cooking spray.

Preheat the oven to 325 F (165 C)

Whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt and set aside.

In a large bowl of an electric mixer, beat the egg whites until foamy. Gradually add in ¼ cup of the sugar and continue beating until soft peaks are formed. Transfer the whites to a clean bowl and set aside.

In the same bowl of the electric mixer (no need to wash the bowl), beat the remaining ¾ cup of sugar with the egg yolks on high speed until they're thick and pale. Reduce the speed of the mixer and add in the olive oil, juice and zest. Stop the mixer, add the dry ingredients and mix together gently. The batter will be thick.

Gently and gradually fold the egg whites into the yolk mixture, until they're thoroughly incorporated. Turn the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 30-35 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean.

Cool the cake on a rack for 15 minutes and then remove the sides of the pan to cool completely.

Serves 12

Honey Spice Bars (Parve)

No time to bake honey cake this year? Looking for a delicious holiday dessert that's full of good-for-you grains, nuts and seeds?

Here it is. Based on the French spice cake Pain D'Epices, this cake uses rye flour instead of wheat. But don't worry. It's light and airy - nothing like "health food" bakery goods.

These are very popular, so I usually make a double recipe.

Ingredients

½ cup rye flour

½ cup rolled oats

¼ cup raw sunflower seeds

½ cup chopped walnuts

¾ teaspoon baking powder

¼ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon ground cardamom

1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

2 eggs

2/3 cup brown sugar

2 tablespoons honey

1/3 cup canola oil

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Method

Preheat the oven to 350 F (180C). Spray or line an 8” (20cm) square baking pan.

Whisk together the flour, oats, walnuts, seeds, baking powder, salt, cardamom, cinnamon and cloves and set aside.

Using an electric mixer, mix together the eggs, sugar, honey, oil and vanilla. Beat until smooth and thick, about 2 minutes. Mix in the dry ingredients and pour into the prepared pan. Smooth the top.

Bake for 25-35 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean. Cool completely in the pan and cut into squares.

16-20 servings

Fast and Sweet

Unexpected guests?

No time to make dessert?

Feel like a little something sweet with your tea?

Here's a dessert or snack to put together in just a few minutes. All you need are dates and almonds, walnuts or marzipan.

1. Use a small sharp knife to pit the date. Check that the inside is clean.

2. Fill the pitted date with a whole almond, half a walnut or some marzipan

3. Arrange the filled dates on a small plate

That's it. Unless you want to sprinkle some powdered sugar over the dates.

Dates are quite sweet. But they're also high in fiber and potassium. Nuts are high in healthy monounsaturated fats.

If you're looking for delicious marzipan, try the not-too-sweet Israeli marzipan from Kfar Tabor. It's made with almonds, sugar, water, glucose and alcohol. It actually tastes like almonds rather than sugar!

Their (mainly Hebrew) website is www.marzipan-tavor.co.il

Back to Cooking

Obesity rates are highest among people who spend the least amount of time cooking.

It's not just a matter of eating sugar, salt and fat-laden store-bought food. When someone else does the cooking, you eat more food. When you're the cook, you eat less and you eat better.

I'm not against convenience foods or short-cuts. But I am against the highly processed and mass-produced food that has become the mainstay of our diet. It's time to learn how to cook tasty nutritious food in our own kitchens.

Yes, I believe in cooking "from scratch". I don't mean hours spent over a hot stove. Most of us don't have the time or the inclination for that. I'm talking about cooking meals from wholesome "real" food, like seasonal fruits and vegetables, whole-grains, fish, poultry, nuts and legumes.

Does that sound daunting? It doesn't have to be. A basic cookbook, a class or two, or time spent helping someone else cook may be just what you need to get inspired.

Consider buying a bread machine, a rice cooker or a crock pot to help you save time and cut corners. Make use of your freezer by cooking and baking when you do have time, so that you can eat well when you don't.

Just to prove that it's possible, even under difficult circumstances, I'll share this Shabbat menu with you. It was all made at home while painters buzzed around the house. I had just over an hour to cook.

Dinner: Whole-wheat challah (dough made in the bread machine), fish fillets with vegetables baked in parchment paper, steamed asparagus, bulgur (rice machine) and chocolate cupcakes (home-made, frozen and frosted before Shabbat).

Kiddush: Banana oatmeal muffins (home-made and frozen) and fresh figs

Lunch: Ravioli salad (ready made ravioli), lettuce, tomato and cucumber salad and watermelon

Seudah shlishit: Tuna sandwiches with tomato and avocado on whole-wheat challah, chocolate pudding (made in the microwave just before Shabbat)

Delicious, home-made and fast.

Now, about those chocolate cupcakes. My two-minute frosting recipe may just entice you back into the kitchen –

The Easiest (Dairy) Chocolate Frosting. Melt pieces of chocolate (use chocolate chips if you want, but I like high-quality chopped bittersweet chocolate) in the microwave, using low power. Whisk in low-fat sour cream until the mixture looks like frosting. Add a drop of vanilla extract. That's it! Frost your cupcakes and enjoy.