Doughnuts Dough: 1 cup water 4 tablespoons butter 1 tablespoon vanilla sugar ¼ teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon grated orange zest (optional) 1 cup flour 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder 4 eggs For fryin…
A popular Sephardic Jewish dish, cuajado, is made with just the zucchini flesh mixed with fresh cheese and matzo meal. This vegetable side dish recipe was created so the peels wouldn't go to waste. Serve as an appetizer or a side dish. Use any leftover zucchini flesh in stuffings, breads and muffins or just sauté with garlic in olive oil.
Food stylist Victoria Granof remembers cousins from a vast family network in France, Venezuela, Peru, and the U.S. appearing at her dinner table in Los Angeles when she was little. The visiting relati
For over 2,000 years Middle Eastern and North African Jews have ushered in the Jewish New Year by joyously blessing and eating symbolic foods, also known as simanim. Many Mizrahi and Sephardic families have incorporated a unique seder into their Rosh Hashana meal with some or all of the simanim below. For those interested in [...]
Sephardic spinach kefters, or fritters get their punch from feta cheese. Yummmm
This simple stew of small white beans in a savory sauce is a common Sephardic recipe. It's served year round at holidays and everyday meals as well.
Food stylist Victoria Granof remembers cousins from a vast family network in France, Venezuela, Peru, and the U.S. appearing at her dinner table in Los Angeles when she was little. The visiting relati
Try a spin on tradition this year with a Spanish themed seder, flavorful and delicious and all kosher for Passover.
Sephardic keftes (also known as keftikes) are leek patties that are eaten at Rosh Hashanah, Hanukkah and Passover (for Passover substitute matzo meal for the breadcrumbs).
Persian cuisine has a number of magnificent rice dishes in its repertoire. Here’s one of the standouts. The rice is rinsed thoroughly and cooked twice—first boiled rapidly in a large amount of water, like pasta, then steamed over low heat nestled over tahdig, a layer of potatoes at the bottom of a pot. The tahdig turns golden brown and crunchy while the rice is cooking and prevents it from drying up. Before serving, the casserole is turned upside down onto a large platter so that the tahdig ends up on the top. Usually tahdig is fried in oil, but in this recipe (suitable for vegetarian and dairy meals), it is fried in butter with egg and yogurt, which makes it even more delicious. To make sure the tahdig doesn’t stick to the bottom, it is best to use a nonstick pan. For more of a plain, classic tahdig, check out this.
A meal isn't complete without this tangy salad. It's great with falafel or shawarma pita or as a side to any barbeque.
Sephardic Chanukah Donuts
Sephardic Charoset)Bites - It is not just a Passover Recipe. Enjoy these Sugar-Free, vegan and Gluten-free date and nut bites all year long. A real energy booster!
From the glorious days of Renaissance Spain to the expulsion of the Jews during the Spanish Inquisition in 1492, our ancestors, originally from Zaragoza, Spain, fled to Greece and Turkey, essentially leaving everything behind except for Jewish traditions and memories. At the end of WW II and the Holocaust, the Saragoussi family again immigrated in the 1950s, this time, to the US seeking a better quality of life. With cherished family possessions lost or stolen during the war, my family arrived in New York City by way of the Italian ocean liner, Andrea Doria, with only clothes-filled suitcases, traditions, and memories. One of those saved traditions is the rich, unchanged recipes of delicious Sephardi cuisine. Borekas, a Sephardic delight and staple whose unwritten recipe has passed through the many hands of the Saragoussi family, are still lovingly prepared and savored in our family’s homes today. I remember watching my Turkish-born grandmother, Nona, who journeyed with our family to America and lived with us during her twilight years, preparing all the ingredients to make the tasty borekas. With nothing more than a fork, knife, bowl, a smooth glass cup (used to cut and roll the dough), and her strong, skillful hands, Nona would swiftly prepare the dough, then mix chopped beef OR feta or kashkaval (a robust Greek yellow cheese), or even merenjena (eggplant) with eggs, scallions, and a dash of pepper into a bowl. Then, one by one, she would flatten the small rounds of dough, fill and form the half-moon shaped borekas. Depending on the filling, Nona sealed the edges of the dough differently to identify its contents – cheese edged with fork marks, meat finished with the edge tightly twisted. Finally, once the borekas were arranged on the baking sheet, Nona would dip her fingers into the egg wash and carefully “brush” the top of each boreka. A half-hour later, with the house filled with the familiar scent of freshly baked pastries, my sisters and I would congregate in the kitchen, eagerly waiting for Nona to serve us fresh, hot borekas. What makes these unique and delicious Sephardic pastelles so meaningful and so part of our family’s Jewish identity is, unlike the foods of Eastern European Jews, the Sephardi incorporated ingredients available in the Mediterranean region – feta cheese or eggplant. More importantly, my Nona, and now my mother, aunts, and my sisters and I, all prepare borekas for Shabbat meals, Jewish holiday gatherings, and as a special treat for company – a way in which our family shares our rich Sephardi tradition with guests. Borekas were and are still such an important family food, that we bring them on trips, picnics, school and work lunches. We have even sent them through the mail to our children in college! As our latest family’s generation is further removed from the original Zaragoza family, all of my living relatives continue to bake with our youngest family members passing on the tradition of making delicious borekas – using the same ingredients and skillful hands!
This traditional Greek dish will surprise you. Humble baked giant beans that give a complex, creamy, and sweet flavor cooked in a unique Mediterranean way.
Leek patties, or keftas de prasa, are commonplace throughout the Jewish Sephardi world -- in Turkey, Bulgaria, Greece, Romania and elsewhere.
You guys are all familiar with shakshuka right? Well, let me introduce you to taktouka ! Shakshuka and taktouka both sound funny and taste amazingly delicious but they are two different dishes! In Morocco, taktouka refers to a very common salad/dip (such as zaalouk, bakoula, etc.) made mainly of very simple ingredients: green bell peppers, tomatoes, garlic and olive oil.
Explore the history of Sephardic Jews with this charoset recipe for Passover. A mixture of fruits and nuts, charoset is an important part of the Seder.
In this Brown Rice Pilaf recipe I use beluga lentils. A tangle of sautéed onions and shallots, a dollop of yogurt, and some minced scallions garnish the dish.
These delicious bread recipes are perfect for holiday parties.
Explore the history of Sephardic Jews with this charoset recipe for Passover. A mixture of fruits and nuts, charoset is an important part of the Seder.
A Sephardic version of Passover charoset made with Medjool dates, almonds and walnuts and flavored with cinnamon and a hint of orange. A worthy addition to your Passover seder! Dates are the base for many charoset recipes from the Sephardic world, which tend to be more like fruit pastes than the chunky apple and nut...Read More »
Keftes de Espinaca, or Spinach Patties, are a cherished Sephardic dish rooted in the culinary history of Spain and Portugal. These flavorful patties, crafted with fresh spinach, aromatic spices, and often enjoyed during Hanukkah, represent a rich tapestry of Sephardic heritage and tradition. The dish serves as a delectable link to the past, offering a delightful and meaningful culinary experience.
A recipe for Mjudra, a Lebanses dish made with lentils, rice, and onions.
This simple and slightly version of Sephardic is so quick and easy. Don't just make it for Passover - use it on crackers year round.
For over 2,000 years Middle Eastern and North African Jews have ushered in the Jewish New Year by joyously blessing and eating symbolic foods, also known as simanim. Many Mizrahi and Sephardic families have incorporated a unique seder into their Rosh Hashana meal with some or all of the simanim below. For those interested in [...]
Pastel de Nuez an old Sephardic family recipe. Delicious kosher for Cinnamon Walnut Passover Cake
Sephardic Rosh Hashanah meals are rich with beautiful tradition. The menu might include roast chicken or lamb cooked with dried fruits; festive ric
This classic Jewish Shabbat dish can be started the evening before Shabbat and cooked overnight so it’s ready (and hands-off) the day of. There are endless versions of the dish; this one features short ribs for celebratory richness and gets subtle sweetness from honey, tomato paste and carrots. We also add whole creamer potatoes, a variety that holds up well to long cooking and will absorb the delicious beef flavor. Although cholent can be cooked in a low oven or on a hot plate, using a slow cooker means the dish can simmer overnight and stay warm until you’re ready to serve.
These delicious and simple Sephardic Charoset Balls will take your Passover Seder food up a notch. And they make waiting for the main part of the meal so much easier:)
