INGREDIENTS:
• ¼ cup ricotta cheese
• 4oz cream cheese, softened — about half a pack
• 1/4 cup powdered sugar plus 2 tbsp more for presentation — sometimes called
confectioner’s sugar
• ½ tsp cinnamon
• ½ cup mini chocolate chips

To Make Filling:
1. In the bowl of a mixer or using a hand mixer or food processor, beat all ingredients except
the powdered sugar until light and fluffy
2. Mix in the chocolate chips by hand using a spatular or big spoon
3. Keep the filling cool in the fridge (covered) until you’re ready to fill your hamantashen —
can be made up to 2 days in advance!
4. Dust with the extra powdered sugar just before serving for that classic “cannoli” look

INGREDIENTS:

• Pizza dough — can use homemade from the recipe included or store bought. You can
also ask to buy some dough at your favorite pizzeria and they’re usually happy to sell
you some!
• Mozzarella cheese — I love to use fresh mozzarella chunks, but shredded is fine. Or
even a different cheese as long as it has a good melt factor
• Marinara sauce — can use homemade or a jar of your favorite brand
• Fresh basil (optional)

To Make Pizzatashen:
​
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit and line your baking sheet(s) with parchment
paper
2. Cut or tear your pizza dough into smaller pieces, and flatten with a rolling pin
3. Place pieces of dough on baking sheets and add 1-2 teaspoon of sauce to the middle
of each dough round.
4. Top with cheese (and you can also add other topping like anchovy, garlic, mushroom
etc)
5. Pinch the dough at three points to create the three corners of the hamantashen
and .make sure to pinch tightly to properly seal the corners so no spillover
6. Bake until dough is cooked and cheese is melted, about 15-20 minutes
7. While the pizzatashen are baking, roll your basil leaves together and chop into fine
strips to garnish your pizzatashen while they’re still hot. Yum!

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 cup very warm water
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 1 tbsp active dry yeast
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 2 - 2 ½ cups AP flour
• 1 tsp salt

To Make Dough:

1. Use a big bowl as the dough will rise a bit!
2. Put warm water into a large mixing bowl, then add sugar and yeast — this will help
“bloom” the yeast as it eats sugar
3. Stir to combine, then let it sit for at least 5-10 minutes, or until it becomes frothy and
small bubbles start to appear
4. Add the olive oil and stir again to combine
5. Add 2 cups of flour and salt and mix with a big spoon or spatula until a ball begins to
form. Don’t worry about the dough being sticky!
6. If needed, add more flour until a ball begins to form
7. Move your ball of dough to a flat surface, cover with a dusting of flour and knead until
the ball becomes smooth
8. Let your dough rest for at least 10-15 minutes (but not the end of the world if you
don’t!)

INGREDIENTS:

• 4 eggs
• 1 cup butter, about 2 sticks (or margarine or vegetable oil)
• 1 1/4 cups sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 3 teaspoons baking powder
• 5 1/2 to 6 cups flour

To Make Dough:
​
1. Mix together the eggs, margarine, sugar and vanilla in a bowl
2. In a separate bowl, sift together your baking powder and flour
3. Add your dry ingredients to your wet ingredients and lightly mix just until it comes
together into a dough
4. Empty the dough onto a flat, floured surface and knead until smooth
5. If you’re using butter — refrigerate your dough for at least 1/2 hour and up to 3 hours,
but if not, you can use this dough right away
To Make Hamantashen:
1. Roll out the dough very thin, about 1/8 inch but use your best judgement
2. Cut out circles from the dough (Tip: you can use a water glass for an easy measure!)
3. Put a dollop of your filling in the center of each circle but be careful to not overfill,
especially with fruit/jam fillings!
4. Fold or pinch the three sides over the filling to make a triangle with the filling exposed
in the middle
5. Bake at 350 degrees for 12-15 minutes for — might need an extra couple of minutes
for the savory hamantahshen
6. Let cool for at least 5 minutes (not only so you don’t burn your tongue, but also to let
the hamantashen retain its shape better when eating

Ingredients​

• Canola or vegetable oil — any neutral-flavored oil works well here
• 2 cups all purpose flour – you can sub gluten free or almond flour, but I’d stay away from whole wheat because it may cause your donuts to become too gummy
• 2½ teaspoons baking powder
• 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 large egg
• 1 cup apple sauce – I prefer chunky so that there are bits of apple in the dough. Alternatively, you can rehydrate dried apples in hot liquid and then puree
• 3 tablespoons milk (or soy/almond/oat milk)
• 2 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• ½ cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons of Chinese five spice powder (optional)
• Mini ice cream scoop (optional)

Directions

1. Fill a dutch oven or heavy saucepan about halfway with a neutral flavor high-heat cooking oil, such as canola, sunflower oil, or vegetable oil. If you have a deep-fry thermometer, heat the oil to 350-360 F, or until it starts to shimmer a bit but it’s not smoking.
2. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and mix thoroughly. 
3. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg with the apple sauce (or puree) and milk. Add the melted butter/margarine and vanilla to the wet ingredients and stir until blended. Add the pumpkin mixture to the dry ingredients and mix until it’s one homogenous mixture.
4. Drop the batter by the spoonful – this is the time to use your mini scoop -- into the hot oil. Resist the urge to do big spoonfuls because the fritters will expand while cooking.
5. Fry the donuts in small batches of about 5 or 6 at a time so you don’t crowd the pan – you may find that you can fit up to 8 or need to cut back to about 4 at a time. Use your best judgement. Fry the fritters for about 3 to 4 minutes, turning frequently.
6. With a slotted spoon, remove the fritters and place on paper towels or a cooling rack to drain off the excess oil. 
7. While they’re still hot, toss the fritters in a mixture of Chinese five spice and sugar (can also use cinnamon sugar or plain sugar) then place on a serving plates and devour. Yum!

INGREDIENTS

• 1/2 cup of butter (1 stick)
• 1/2 cup of AP flour
• 1/4 teaspoon of nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon of ground mustard
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper
• 1 teaspoon of granulated garlic or garlic powder — 2 tsps if using fresh and make sure it’s finely minced 
• 1 cup of cheddar cheese, shredded - I prefer sharp cheddar but you can use any strength you like 
• 1 + 2 tablespoons cup Parmesan or Pecorino Romano cheese, grated
• 2 tablespoons of bread crumbs
• 1 cup of shredded Asiago cheese
• 1 cup of goat cheese — I like to use garlic and herb flavored but plain is fine. You can also sub cream cheese
• 1 quart of whole milk (or 4-5 cups) — it’s important that you use whole milk for this. If you only have skim milk, then the sauce might be a bit thin so you’ll need a thicker roux
• 1-2 lbs of your favorite pasta shape

​DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit
2. Meanwhile, bring a pot of water to a boil and add big pinch of salt (this will season the noodles)
3. Add the pasta and boil until al dente (about 6-7 minutes) — give it a taste and it should still be firm but a soft chew. Don’t worry if you think it’s underdone since it will cook again in the oven
4. In a large saucepan or pot over a medium flame, add the butter and melt
5. Once the butter is melted, add the flour and start to stir until the butter and flour become one homegenous almost paste-like mixture
6. Cook for at least 5-6 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds so it doesn’t burn, then add your salt and pepper
7. While whisking, slowly add the milk — make sure the roux is completely incorporated and a smooth white sauce (also known as a bechamel) will form. This is one of the 5 mother sauces in classic French cooking. Once we add cheese it becomes a Mornay sauce
8. Once the sauce has come together, add the nutmeg, dried mustard, salt, pepper, and garlic and bring to a simmer
9. Once the sauce is continuously simmering, add the Parmesan or Romano cheese and stir well
10. Once the Parmesan is incorporated, start adding the rest of the cheeses a handful at a time and stirring to incorporate each time — don’t add a new handful until the precious one has melted into the sauce
11. Once the last of the cheese has been melted into the sauce, let it cook for another few minutes as it settles then turn the heat off
12. Add the cooked and drained pasta to the cheese sauce and stir so every noodle is coated in cheesy goodness— resist the urge to eat the whole pot! 😉 
13. Add the cheese noodles to a greased 13x9 dish and flatten with your stirring spoon
14. Mix the remaining Parmesan and breadcrumbs and sprinkle all over the top of the mac and cheese dish
15. Bake at 375 for at 25-30 minutes or until the crust gets golden brown

Enjoy with a simple green salad for a delicious midweek dinner or as a side. Yum!

Tip: want to make this dish healthier? Add some broccoli or spinach to the cheesy noodle mixture. Mmm 😋

This dough is super easy and doesn't need to be chilled for more than 15 minutes. Plus, it pairs perfectly with both savory and sweet fillings. Happy Purim!

Ingredients:

• 4 eggs
• 1 cup butter, about 2 sticks (or margarine or vegetable oil)
• 1 1/4 cups sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 3 teaspoons baking powder
• 5 1/2 to 6 cups flour

 
To Make Dough:
​

1. Mix together the eggs, margarine, sugar and vanilla in a bowl
2. In a separate bowl, sift together your baking powder and flour
3. Add your dry ingredients to your wet ingredients and lightly mix just until it comes together into a dough
4. Empty the dough onto a flat, floured surface  and knead until smooth
5. If you’re using butter — refrigerate your dough for at least 1/2 hour and up to 3 hours, but if not, you can use this dough right away

 
To Make Hamantashen:

1. Roll out the dough very thin, about 1/8 inch but use your best judgement
2. Cut out circles from the dough (Tip: you can use a water glass for an easy measure!)
3. Put a dollop of your filling in the center of each circle but be careful to not overfill, especially with fruit fillings
4. Fold or pinch the three sides over the filling to make a triangle with the filling exposed in the middle
5. Bake at 350 degrees for 12-15 minutes for — might need an extra couple of minutes for the savory hamantahshen
6. Let cool for at least 5 minutes (not only so you don’t burn your tongue, but also to let the hamantashen retain its shape better when eating

Ingredients:

• 28 oz can of crushed tomatoes—my favorite brand is San Marzano for its inherent sweetness, but any brand should be fine
• 1/4 cup of red wine — any variety works, but should be something you’d drink
• ½ teaspoon of crushed red pepper flakes
•  2 ½ teaspoons of dried oregano
• 1 tin of anchovy filets—it’s important that the anchovies are packed in oil as opposed to water since you want to flavor and richness of the oil to help flavor the sauce. Flat filets are also easier for melting into the oil
• 4-5 medium garlic cloves, roughly chopped
• 1 pound of grape tomatoes—quartered whole tomatoes or cherry tomatoes could work in this dish too, but grape tomatoes are a nice size and roast beautifully in the oven
• 1 pound of cremini mushrooms, halved or quartered depending on size
• 2 small to medium zucchini, cut into half moons
• 2 small to medium yellow squash, cut into half moons
• 1 bell pepper, sliced into strips (any color)
• 1 large onion, chopped roughly
• 1 pound of ricotta cheese—it might be tempting to use low fat here, but use whole milk ricotta—trust me, you’ll taste the difference!
• 1 cup of Parmesan cheese—shredded or grated as long as you’d eat it on your pasta
• 2 large eggs
• 10 oz package of frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained—Make sure you squeeze as much water out of the spinach as you can
• 1 box of oven ready lasagna noodles
• 1 bag of shredded mozzarella—one of those Italian blends works too
• 1 small ball of fresh mozzarella (optional)
• Olive oil
• Salt and pepper

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees
2. Toss tomatoes with 1 tablespoon of oil, 1 teaspoon of oregano and salt, and ½ teaspoon of black pepper, and spread on a sheet pan and roast for 15-20 minutes
3. While the tomatoes are roasting, use a second, larger sheet pan for the zucchini, squash, pepper and onion and increase to 2 tablespoons of oil, 1 tablespoon of salt, 2 teaspoons of oregano, and 1 teaspoon of pepper
4. Roast the veggies for 30 minutes, while you prepare the rest of the components for the lasagna (Note: when the veggies come out of the oven, lower the heat to 375 degrees)
5. While the veggies are in the oven, add enough olive oil to a big sauté pan to coat the bottom and heat on medium-high heat
6. Add anchovies to the pan and break them up with a back of a wooden spoon — Don’t skip this step! — even if you don’t like anchovies, the high heat will melt the filets into the oil and it will give needed background and depth to your sauce
7. Once the anchovy is melted, add the garlic and brown for about a minute or two
8. Add the mushrooms—it’s important for mushrooms to be spread out for them to brown evenly. If they’re too crowded in the pan, then they’ll start to steam and turn rubbery
9. Once the mushrooms have cooked, season with a teaspoon of salt, ½ teaspoon of black pepper,½ teaspoon of oregano
10. Add the crushed tomatoes to the pan and stir—you want the seasonings to be evenly spread throughout
11. Reduce the heat to medium low, and simmer until the roasted tomatoes are ready to come out of the oven, and then transfer tomatoes to the sauce
12. Continue to simmer for another 5 minutes
13. While the sauce is finishing up, you can work on the ricotta layer
14. In a large bowl, add ricotta cheese, parmesan, eggs, and spinach, as well as a teaspoon of salt and ½ teaspoon of pepper
15. Whisk all the ingredients together for about 3-4 minutes
16. Time to assemble the layers! In a 9×13 baking dish, spoon a bit of the tomato sauce on the bottom of the dish
17. Add the lasagna noodles to the dish in a single layer all the way across—I shingled a little and also got creative by using one noodle that I cracked to fill in empty crevices
18. The next layer should be some more tomato sauce
19. Next up is a layer of the roasted vegetables
20. After the vegetables should be a layer of the ricotta mixture—don’t skimp on the ricotta!
21. After the ricotta comes the cheese layer—add about ¼ of the bag of mozzarella cheese over the ricotta
22. Repeat the layering another 3 times, and top with a layer of noodles
23. For the final layer, add a thick layer of tomato sauce over the top, followed by remaining cheese and parmesan—for my top layer, I actually like to use some fresh mozzarella since it melts so beautifully and makes for a beautiful presentation
24. (Optional)I place the whole thing onto a larger sheet tray so that if there’s spillage, it doesn’t go all over the oven floor
25. Bake in the oven at 375 degrees, uncovered, for 25-35 minutes
26. Let it cool for at least 5-10 minutes before cutting into it. In fact, lasagna is a great make-ahead dish that you can keep in the fridge for up to 2 days before heating. If you plan to refrigerate, make sure to add an additional 10-12 minutes to cooking time.

Also, this makes for a pretty saucy lasagna, but if you want you can reserve some extra sauce and spoon it over the top of each piece as it’s served, and garnish with some extra parmesan. Now who wouldn’t want a piece of that beauty? Buon Appetito!

INGREDIENTS

FOR COOKIES

• 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter, softened
• 1 cup packed brown sugar — packed means you push the sugar down so it really fills all the crevices. Important for brown sugar because it gets a little clumsy due to the molasses in it 
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extraact
• 1 1/2 cup AP flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1 cup packed shredded carrots (~2 medium carrots)
• 3/4 cup shredded coconut flakes, unsweetened
• 1/2 cup raisins
• 1 cup whole oats
• 1 cup walnuts, chopped 

CREAM CHEESE ICING

• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1 oz cream cheese, at room temperature
• 4 tsp milk or milk substitute
• 1/4 tsp vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat your oven to 350º and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. With an electric mixer or stand mixer, beat butter and sugars until light and fluffy
3. Add eggs, one at a time, until incorporated, then add vanilla.
4. In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt, or use a sifter.
5. Add dry ingredients to butter mixture and mix until well-combined.
6. Stir in carrots, coconut, raisins, walnuts and oats and mix until just combined.
7. Scoop 1 inch rounds of cookie dough onto baking sheet and place pan in middle rack (or multiple racks of making a lot of cookies and rotate pans halfway 
8. Bake until golden brown, about 18 minutes
9. Let cool — super important step as the cookie will have some carryover cooking time. Also, you don’t want to add glaze to hot cookies as it will slide off!
10. Make glaze: Stir together cream cheese, powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla until combined. Drizzle glaze over each cookie and let harden before serving (You can speed up the hardening process by putting cookies in fridge)

These cookies won't last long so remember to put some aside for yourself!

Pistachio-Coconut Crusted Salmon 

Ingredients

• Salmon fillets, skin on
• Garlic, 3-4 cloves
• 1/2 cup of shelled pistachios
• 1/2 cup shredded coconut flakes, unsweetened
• 1 tbsp of dijon mustard — can substitute mayo if desired
• Olive oil
• 2 tsp of salt
• 1/2 tsp of black pepper
• 2 lemons, halved and grilled cut side down (optional)

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees
2. While the oven is preheating, let’s make the crust — in the bowl of a food processor, add the pistachios, garlic, coconut, 1 tsp of salt and pepper
3. Pulse in the food processor until the mixture comes together and is similar in texture and size to sand — you can do this without a food processor by putting mixture into a plastic bag and taking your aggression out on it with a rolling pin!
4. Pat the salmon dry with a towel, and then season with the remaining salt, and transfer it to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper — you can use tin foil, but parchment paper will make sure the salmon won’t stick. Plus, makes for super easy cleanup!
5. Using a brush or a spoon, spread the dijon all over the flesh of the salmon — this is the glue the helps the crust stick
6. Using your hands, cover the mustard-covered salmon with the crust mixture. Make sure to cover the fish evenly, so it will cook evenly, and cover it all over — we don’t want any parts uncovered
7. Once the fish is covered, pour some olive oil over the top to help with browning the crust
8. Bake the fish for 10-12 minutes then remove from oven and let the fish cool for at least 5 minutes
9. Garnish with the Arugula-Pistachio pesto, grilled lemons and serve with Grilled Corn, Tomato and Avocado Salad. Yum!

Arugula-Pistachio Pesto

Ingredients

• 1-2 cups of arugula or baby arugula
• 1 cup of pistachios — you can substitute walnuts if you’ve used up all your pistachios on the fish
• 1-2 tsps of lemon zest
• 1-2 tbsps of lemon juice
• Garlic, 4-5 cloves
• 1/2 cup of Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese or Pecorino Romano or an aged, hard cheese
• Olive oil

Directions

1. In the bowl of a food processor (or mortar and pestle) add all of the ingredients except for the oil
2. Pulse the mixture continuously while adding olive oil until it turns into a loose paste. I like mine a little coarse and chunky, but you can choose your own thickness
3. If you find it too thick, add more olive oil or a bit more lemon juice. Make sure to taste it!
4. Empty mixture into a bowl and let it sit at least 10-15 minutes before using — this pesto is also great as a pasta sauce. Just mix the cold or room temperature pesto into hot pasta. So good!

Grilled Corn, Tomato & Avocado Salad 

Ingredients

• Corn, 4-5 ears
• Cherry tomatoes, 1 pint, cut in half
• Red onion, 1 medium or 1/2 large onion, diced
• Avocados, 2 — make sure that your avocados are ripe, but not mushy, chopped in 1/2 inch cubes
• 1/4 cup of champagne vinegar or white wine vinegar
• 2 tbsp of honey
• 1 tbsp of dijon mustard
• 2 tsps of dried mint
• 1/4 cup of lemon juice
• 1/3 cup of olive oil
• 1/2 cup of fresh cilantro

Directions

1. Heat your grill or grill-pan to medium heat — you want it hot, but not smoking
2. While the grill is getting hot, clean your corn by removing both the husk and silk strands — you want corn to grill contact to happen
3. Place the corn on the grill (and some lemon halves which make a great garnish) — don’t worry about turning the corn too too often since you want some of that char and grill color on the corn. You should probably give it a nudge every 3-5 minutes — it will only take about 10-15 minutes total to cook
4. While the corn is grilling, dice your onion and chop the tomatoes in half and place in a large bowl big enough for mixing
5. Once your corn has come off the grill and cooled for a few min, cut off the end of the corn so you have a straight edge, and balance the corn on its straight end
6. Using a sharp, chef’s knife, starting at the top of the ear, cut of the corn kernels by cutting straight down, and rotate the corn once you get to the bottom and repeat until you’ve cut all of the corn off the cob. Repeat for all of the ears or corn. Add the corn to the tomatoes and onions
7. Cut your avocados by running a sharp knife along the outside, around the pit until you’ve gone all the way around. Use your hands to twist the 2 halves apart
8. Take your knife and thwack it into the avocado pit so it sticks into it, then twist to detach the pit from the avocado
9. Use a spoon to scoop out the avocado meat and chop into 1/2 inch pieces
10. Drizzle the avocado pieces in lemon juice to keep them bright green before you mix into the corn salad mixture.
11. For the dressing: mix honey, champagne vinegar, olive oil, dijon, salt, pepper, cilantro and mint in a bowl and mix vigorously until the dressing is one homogeneous mixture — I like to use a mason jar.
12. Pour the dressing over the corn-tomato mixture (reserving some dressing if needed later) and add the avocados
13. Gently toss everything together until all of the ingredients have a little bit of dressing on them, and make sure to be delicate with the avocado so it doesn’t get mushed
14. Garnish with more chopped cilantro, and erve with your favorite fish or chicken dish on a beautiful summer day — like for a wedding celebration perhaps. Bon appetit!

Ingredients:

• Boneless chicken breast or thighs (Substitutes: tofu), 1-2 lb, cut into chunks
• Curry paste (green or red), 2-3 heaping tbsps
• Fish sauce, 1 tbsp
• Coconut milk, 1 can or 1.5 cups
• Scallions, 1 bunch
• Garlic, 2-3 tbsp or to taste
• Onions, 1-2 small onions or 1 large onion
• Carrots, 3-4 carrots
• Bell pepper, 2 bell peppers
• Potato, 2-3 potatoes
• Peanut oil (or vegetable or canola — something neutral)
• Thai chilies, Sambal Olek (chili paste) or other hot pepper (optional)
• Cilantro (optional)
• Rice (optional)

Directions:

1. Chop some potatoes into 1/2 inch pieces, toss with a little bit of oil, salt and pepper, and roast in the oven for 20-25 minutes on 450
2. While that’s going, cut your chicken into medium-sized chunks — you can also use already sliced chicken or chicken tenders, but I think it’s fun and rustic to DIY
3. In order to get a good sear on the chicken, you should heat your wok or sauté pan until it’s very hot, then throw the chicken in with a little bit of neutral-flavored oil like canola
4. While the chicken is browning, mince your garlic, scallions and chop your other veggies (onion, peppers, carrots
5. Once the chicken is cooked, but not cooked to death, take out and reserve for later,  and toss veggies into the hot wok starting with the garlic to perfume the pan
6. Once you’ve sweated the veggies, add the scallions and deglaze the pan with some fish sauce (or soy sauce)
7. Add a few heaping spoonfuls of curry paste and make sure that it gets evenly distributed so that it gets incorporated throughout the dish
8. After cooking the curry paste into the veggies for a few minutes, add your coconut milk and mix thoroughly, and this would also be the time to add some sambal olek chili paste or dried chilies if you like a spicy curry. Can skip this if you want.
9. Simmer for a few minutes, then add the chicken back into the pan along with the roasted potatoes which should be done at this point. This would also be a time to add other starchy ingredients you might be using: roasted squash, pumpkin, sweet potato, tofu, etc.
10. Simmer uncovered for about 10-15 min so that curry thickens up
11. Serve immediately over noodles or rice and garnish with cilantro and Thai chilies, or put it in the fridge and eat it the next day. So delicious as leftovers — Yum!

Enjoy and let me know how yours turned out!