Category: Salad

Lag Ba’omer – Best BBQ Potato Salad

I love Lag Ba’omer. Why do I love Lag Ba’omer? Well besides for the fact that it’s a good excuse for a BBQ, I love it because it makes me think of Meiron, which in turn makes me think of Israel, and Israel makes me feel like home. I spent seminary in the Holy Land over 10 years ago, and I just fell in love with its spiritual and physical beauty. Just looking at pictures of Jerusalem tugs at my heartstrings and I yearn to go back. When I got married, I told my husband, all I want is for you to take me to Israel! Well seven years and two children later, I got my wish. Last year we won roundtrip tickets (!) and we couldn’t imagine a better time to go then for Lag Ba’omer. We decided to spend Shabbos at Kibbutz Lavi in Tiveria, so that we could drive straight to Meiron after Shabbos. It turned out to be a beautiful hotel in an equally beautiful kibbutz, with nice accomodations and delicious food.

How can one describe the scene of Meiron on Lag Ba’omer? Thousands of people from every walk of life, pilgrimaging up the mountain towards the Rashbi’s holy kever…each person beseeching the tzaddik for their personal salvation, collectively asking for our redemption…a thousand glowing candles burning bright…prayers…tears…brotherhood…holiness…(I apologize for lack of pictures, but had I brought my good camera to Meiron, it would no longer be my “good camera”, but rather my “broken to pieces by throngs of people camera”).

As beautiful as it all sounds, practically speaking, it was anything but easy. We had two young children, a double stroller, thousands upon thousands of people, darkness (we went at night)…Going from parking lot to bus to the base of a verrrry steep hill which we needed to climb with our stroller. But we made it to the other side, and it was worth every push and shove!

After a late night in Meiron, we could not resist making the ascent to Tzfas to visit the kever of the Arizal. Tzfas is one of the four holy cities of Israel (Jerusalem, Chevron and Tiveria make up the other three), and it is truly magical. The scenery from the mountaintop, the ancient shuls and the holy sages that are buried there are just some of what makes the mystical city special.

Traditionally, we make bonfires on Lag Ba’omer to commemorate the light that the Rashbi brought to the world through his Torah learning. On our drive back down to Yerushalayim, we could not resist stopping for some “Al Ha’esh”. Decks, a beautiful restaurant located in Tiveria was the perfect spot to get our BBQ fix. It is situated on an extended Deck (hence the name) overlooking the kineret, making you feel as if you are on a boat. There are glass windows from ceiling to floor with blue crystal waters as far as the eye can see. Decks serves traditional Israeli fare, as well as an extensive “Al Ha’esh” menu which is served on a personal BBQ at your table. The food was incredible, the scenery breathtaking, and the day totally and completely unforgettable.

So, without further ado, in honor of the holiday of Barbeques, I give you my favorite BBQ potato salad recipe:

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Sundried Tomato Olive Tapenade


After tasting a delicious olive tapenade at a restaurant a few years ago, I started playing around with different olive dip recipes to serve on Shabbos, alongside the fish. I tried the typical spanish olives with mayo, green olives with garlic and olive oil, and finally this recipe, which proved to be by favorite. The sundried tomatoes add a delicious flavor and color to the dip. When I was plating this for photographing, my two year old daughter asked if she could have some in a sandwich. I put two pieces of crostini together, and she ate the whole thing! If a two year old can appreciate its deliciousness, imagine how much you, and your guests, will!

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Roasted Beet & Orange Salad

This salad is delicious and refreshing, and a nice change from the typical shredded beets or vinaigrette made on Pesach. It is usually made using mixed greens (bitter ones work best) but if you don’t use them on Pesach, it can be made without as well.

Beets have a delicious robust flavor when roasted. Many people boil their beets in water, but that releases the flavor into the water. When you roast the beets, the flavor just intensifies (this is true for boiling vs roasting all vegetables).

For a nice presentation, you can use both red and golden beets (just roast and cut them separately because the red ones will bleed), and serve them sliced on a bed of greens. Top it off with regular and/or blood oranges.

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Mock Chopped Liver

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With only one week to go until Pesach, it’s about that time to stop pushing off the inevitable…cooking (or at least planning the menu)! Thankfully, I have not yet made Pesach, and I don’t plan on it, as long as my mother, or in-laws will have me! A lot of people I talk to seem to feel the same, but there are definitely those who are of the opinion that Pesach food is delicious and exciting. Pesach is a yom tov that is so grounded in tradition. The whole idea of the hagaddah is “Vehegadita LeVincha,” passing on the torch to our children. To me, food is so much a part of that. Think about your childhood and so many of your memories will revolve around the smells and tastes of your mothers cooking. If you think back to a certain chag, it’s the traditional family recipes that transport you back to that special time. So for me, Pesach food isn’t about how gourmet it is, or looking for that new recipe. It’s simply about making the foods that my mother made, and those that my children, after me, will continue to make. And for generations, those same delicious smells will continue to waft through our homes, carrying on our traditions for eternity.

One of the recipes that my mother has always made is vegetarian chopped liver. To me, it’s like Pesach on a spoon! Eating it just transports me. She would whip up a few containers on erev yom tov, and we’d eat it alongside the fish at each meal. We could never shmear it on the matza, so we’d eat a spoonful of the liver and promptly follow it with a bite of matza.

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Asian Chicken Salad

I love coming up with ways to repurpose my leftovers. Lets face it. Life is busy, and putting a fresh and healthy dinner on the table isn’t always possible. I’m sure you’ve had to resort to fish sticks and french fries every now and then, just as I have. Sometimes, it helps to make a double portion of chicken or pasta so you can use the leftovers the next day in a different way. When I made this dinner, my daughter came home from school with a fever, and I had to run to the doctor at the last minute. I didn’t have time to prepare dinner earlier in the day, so I was glad to have lots of leftovers from the previous night when I made teriyaki vegetable linginui with marinated chicken breast. I decided to throw together an Asian-style salad to serve alongside some of the leftover pasta. I hadn’t started with the salad yet when my husband came home saying, “I’m not in the mood for salad.” I told him to at least give it a try because he would definitely get in the mood when he tasted it! Sure enough, he loved it, and had two bowlfulls! This salad is so light and fresh-tasting. You can go ahead and add in other veggies if you’d like. I think some white cabbage or bok choy would be a great addition, I just didn’t have any.

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