Category: Fruit

{Guest Post} Apple Turnovers

Hey guys,

Since Chanie’s computer is out of commission, I’m filling in for a day with one of my favorite quick and easy recipes. I love to bake but I don’t always have the time. This recipe uses frozen puff pastry (I love Pepperidge Farm’s), which allows me to cut down on prep, but not taste! I really enjoy these, and I hope you do too!

PS Dont tell Chanie I told you, but she likes to use these ready-to-make frozen apple turnovers. If she ever serves them to you for dessert, just make believe it’s my recipe ;)

Apple Turnovers
from the Balabuste’s Choice

1 package frozen puff pastry, thawed
1 egg yolk

Filling
4 cortland apples (grated)
1 cup sugar
2 tbsp cornstarch
2 tsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

Glaze
1 cup confectioners sugar
2 tbsp oil
2 tbsp boiling water
touch of vanilla extract

Method:

Preheat ovent to 350 degrees. Roll out dough and cut into 3×3 inch squares. Combine filling in a saucepan and stir over flame for 20-25 minutes. Cool filling. Place a tbsp of filling into each square. Fold the sides to make a triangle. Brush with egg. Poke edges closed with a fork to prevent sides from opening.  Place on lined cookie sheet. Bake for 20 min or until golden brown.

Glaze when cooled.

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Strawberry Rhubarb Soup


Strawberries and rhubarb are as fresh and delightful as the spring air they herald. They pair wonderfully in recipes and add a burst of color as well as tang. The natural sweetness of the strawberries lends itself well to rhubarb’s tartness for a perfect balance of flavors.

While many people opt for a creamy potato leek soup, or a cheesy french onion soup for their dairy Shavuous meal, I like to take advantage of the fresh seasonal fruits for a cold and refreshing fruit soup. Think about it – you’ve got steaming lasagna coming, and lots of rich and creamy cheesecake for dessert, who needs another heavy plate of soup? This light and refreshing soup makes the perfect starter.

NOTE: the leaves of a rhubarb plant contain oxalic acid and can be toxic. While many stores sell the stalks already trimmed, make sure all the leaves are removed before using.

With minor tweaking, you can also use this recipe as an ice cream sauce or compote, see below for details.

Strawberry Rhubarb Soup

5 stalks rhubarb (1 lb.)
1 container strawberries (1 lb.)
1 cup sugar
1 cup water
1 cup pomegranate juice (I like Pom)
1 cinnamon stick
pinch of allspice
pinch of nutmeg
mascarpone, creme fraiche, sour cream or plain yogurt
mint leaves, for garnish

Method:

Hull and clean strawberries and cut into quarters. Remove leaves from rhubarb, clean and dice. Add fruit to a pot to which water, juice, sugar and spices have been added. Bring to a boil, lower heat, and simmer for 20-30 minutes, breaking up the fruit with a spoon every few minutes. Leave the soup to cool and blend with an immersion blender, regular blender, or food processor.  Refrigerate until ready to serve.

To serve, spoon a dollop of mascarpone, creme fraiche, sour cream, or yogurt over the soup. If you’d like, you can use a knife to swirl in the cream (as pictured), or you can mix it into the soup. Garnish with mint leaves.

TIP: To use this recipe to make ice cream sauce, leave out the 1 cup of water (just use 1 cup of pomegranate juice) and simmer for 15 minutes, breaking up the fruit with a spoon. Do not blend. Cool and serve over ice cream or as compote.

NOTE: If using frozen strawberries and rhubarb, leave out the cup of water (you can adjust the consistency and taste after cooking by adding a bit more water or sugar, if needed).

Yield: approximately 6 cups soup.

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Spinach Strawberry Salad with Poppyseed Dressing

In keeping with last weeks theme of cooking in season, strawberries are an all time favorite in the spring. They are packed with vitamins, fiber, and high levels of antioxidants and are low in calories, as well as low GI, with a value of 40 on the glycemic index. Strawberries are also a good source of manganese and potassium. Just one serving (about 8 strawberries) provides more vitamin C than an orange!

Regardless of their nutritional value, we love strawberries simply because they are fresh, light, sweet and delicious. Pair them with your breakfast cereal or yogurt, dip them in chocolate for dessert, or throw them into a salad. They compliment dishes in every course with a versatility all their own.

I came up with this salad to please everyone at the Shabbos table. I love spinach. My husband loves hearts of palm, and my daughter loves strawberries. I threw in some avocado for good measure, and some candied walnuts for crunch. The dressing complements the salad perfectly, with a fresh, light taste that is mildy sweet.

This salad will round off your dairy Shavuous meal perfectly!

Spinach Stawberry Salad with Poppyseed Dressing

1 bag baby spinach
1 container strawberries, leaves trimmed, cleaned and diced into circles
1 can hearts of palm, cut into circles
1 avocado, cubed
candied walnuts or honey roasted pecans

Dressing:

1/2 c light olive or grapeseed oil
2 tbsp white wine vinegar
1 tbsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp lemon zest
2 tbsp strawberry jam
1 tbsp honey
salt and pepper, to taste
1 tbsp poppy seeds

Method:

Prepare salad ingredients. Start with spinach, top with strawberries, hearts of palm, avocado and finish with nuts. Prepare dressing in a blender, or whisk well to incorporate (I like to use a blender to smooth out the lumps of jelly. If you don’t have one, you can heat up the jelly in the microwave, it is easier to mix in once it is melted). Pour dressing over salad and serve immediately.

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Banana Dates Milk & Honey Smoothie


For all those Brooklynites out there, you may remember a certain little establishment on the corner of Coney Island and Avenue P called Bissale. It used to be opened till the wee hours of the morning (I’m not sure if it ever really closed) and hailed its own psychic, who’s only charge was to pay for her meal! The place had the absolute best Israeli food, but there was some shady business going on there (not to mention it was far from clean, but we turned a blind eye). At one point they opened up a secret hooka bar in the back (there might have been more than just hooka going on there!). Anyway, my friend Dina and I used to frequent the place and we always ordered up the same thing: ftut, french fries, and a banana, date, milk and honey smoothie. The ftut was basically some chopped malawach dough, mixed up with cheese and mushrooms, with a tomato dipping sauce. The french fries were incredible. But the prize, for me, was the smoothie. It was creamy and sweet, full of delicious flavor! Bissale closed its doors a few years ago, and while I miss the great food, and even better memories (not including the calories!), I’m happy to savor my favorite shake in my favorite place, home sweet home.

The original recipe uses whole milk, but I use almond milk to pack a protein punch and nutty flavor. Also, to eliminate the need for ice cubes (which will just water it down), I freeze the banana and dates a few hours in advance.

Banana Dates Milk & Honey Smoothie

1 cup almond milk
1 banana
3 dates
1 tbsp honey

Method:

Add ingredients to blender and blend until smooth.

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Perfect Pareve French Toast

If you oftentimes have leftover challah, as I do, I’m sure you couldn’t think of a better way to use it then for delicious french toast smothered in maple syrup (ok, maybe for some bread pudding with some raisins and rum!). Now since I’ve got a child who’s severely allergic to dairy, I have to come up with ways to substitute for the real thing. In this recipe, almond milk does a great job. It’s rich, sweet, and flavorful. And between the eggs and the almonds, it helps add some protein to what feels like a loaded carbohydrate meal (talk about deguiltifying comfort food!). So go ahead, whip up a batch for breakfast, brunch, or even dinner (as I did!)

Of course, if you’re able, go all out and use the real thing with whole milk and fry in good old butter!

Perfect Pareve French Toast

4 eggs
1 cup vanilla almond milk (or 1 cup almond milk + 1/4 tsp vanilla)
1 tsp sugar
pinch of salt
1 egg challa
canola oil, for frying
maple syrup or sugar, for serving
assorted berries, for serving

Method:

Slice your challah into 1/2 – 1 inch pieces (depending on how you like it). Whisk together eggs, milk, sugar and salt. Dip challah into egg mixture on both sides, making sure to fully saturate the challah (you can soak it in the mixture for a minute or so). Cook the challah in an oiled skillet on medium heat until golden on both sides (about 2 minutes per side). Serve with syrup or sugar and berries or fruit of your choice.

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