Recipes for Shabbat

Dried Fruit

In that never never "there is no good fresh fruit" time between the apples and pomegranates of the High Holidays and the strawberries we serve at Pesach appear I find my self reaching for the dried fruit and I never miss a  culinary beat.

The benefits of eating dried fruit as part of a balanced diet are well known. Dried fruits are typically high in fiber and complex carbohydrates and contain tons of the minerals and vitamins necessary for a healthy lifestyle. Dried fruits are a wonderful snack full of vitamins and minerals and I use them as an alternative natural sweetener when I'm baking cakes, cookies and, breakfast cereals. I also use them to make sauces and throw them into salads and on top of ice cream

Dried fruits are a great pantry item because they will keep for months. Air and heat can cause the fruit to dry and harden, so it is necessary to keep unopened packages of dried fruit in cool, dry places at temperatures below 70. Open packages of dried fruit should be kept in airtight containers. If it's really humid you should consider refrigerating them. Dried fruit can also be stored in the freezer for long periods of time and thaw quickly at room temperature.

Dried fruit is available year-round and comes in five basic designations: extra fancy, fancy, extra choice, choice and standard. These grades are based on size, color, condition and moisture content. In fact the only down side I can find to munching tons or these tasty treats is that they contain 4 to 5 times the calories, by weight, of fresh fruit. So, if you're counting calories, know that a little goes a long way.

CHEESE SPREAD WITH DRIED FRUITS (dairy)

In a food processor combine the ricotta and cream cheese and process until smooth. Add the brown sugar and cinnamon and process to combine. Remove the mixture from the processor and place it in a bowl and add the almonds, apricots and dates. Mix to combine. Serve the spread with fruit, cookies or muffins. You can store the mixture in airtight container in the refrigerator for a week. Makes about 11/4 cups spread. This recipe can be doubled or tripled.

SOUTHERN SWEET POTATO SALAD (pareve)

In a medium saucepan, cook the sweet potatoes in salted boiling water until  they are tender, about 5 to 8 minutes. Do not overcook. Drain and toss the cooked potatoes with lemon juice. Set the potatoes aside. In a large bowl, combine the mayonnaise, orange juice, honey, orange peel, ginger, salt and nutmeg. Add the warm potatoes, the celery and dates and toss to coat well. Cover and chill for at least 1 hour. Before serving, gently stir in the pecans. Spoon salad onto a lettuce lined platter. Arrange the oranges around the salad.

MORNING GLORY MUFFINS (pareve)

Preheat oven to 375. Lightly oil 18 muffin cups, or coat with nonstick cooking spray. In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. In a second bowl, combine carrots, apples, coconut, dates and pecans. Stir the eggs, oil and vanilla into the carrot mixture and then add this mixture to the dry ingredients. Stir until smooth. Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin pans. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean. Makes 18 muffins

APRICOT PECAN COOKIES (dairy or pareve)

Preheat the oven to 325. In a blender or food processor combine the flour, 1/2 cup butter and cream cheese. Process until the mixture forms a ball. Chill, wrapped in plastic wrap, for 15 minutes. combine the brown sugar, egg, 1 tablespoon butter, vanilla and salt in a medium mixer bowl. Beat at  medium-high speed until smooth. Stir in the apricots and pecans. shape the dough into twenty-four 1" balls. Press the balls over the bottoms and up the sides of 24 greased muffin cups. Spoon the apricot mixture into the prepared muffin cups. Bake for 25 minutes or until filling is set. Cool in the muffin cups on a wire rack.

CASHEW AND RAISIN BISCOTTI (pareve)

Preheat oven to 300. In a bowl combine the flour, baking powder, nutmeg, baking soda and mace. In an electric mixing bowl combine the sugar, vanilla, and eggs and beat, at medium speed until thick. Stir in the flour mixture, cashews, and raisins. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface, and knead lightly 7 or 8 times. Shape the dough into a 12-inch roll. Place the roll on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray, and pat to 1-inch thickness. Bake at 300 degrees for 45 minutes. Cool 10 minutes on a wire rack. Cut roll diagonally into 24 (1/2-inch) slices; stand the slices upright on baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes (the cookies will be slightly soft in center but will harden as they cool). Remove from baking sheet; cool  completely on wire rack. Makes 2 dozen pieces

CRAZY CRUNCHY COLE SLAW (pareve)

In a small bowl combine the vinegar, sugar, mustard, pepper and oil. In a large bowl, combine the red and green cabbages, carrots, sliced vegetables, raisins, parsley and ginger. Add the dressing and gently toss. Let the salad stand for 1 hour to marinate vegetables and blend flavors. Serves 4. This recipe can be doubled or tripled.

APRICOT BREAKFAST SPREAD (dairy)

In a food processor combine all the ingredients and process until you have the desired consistency. This is great spread on bread, bagels, or crackers. Makes approx. 1/2 cup. This recipe can be doubled or tripled

APRICOT MACADAMIA SNOWBALLS (pareve)

Using a food processor, blend together the apricots, sugar, jam and macadamia nuts, pulsing the machine until mix forms a ball. Shape rounded teaspoons of the mixture into balls. Roll and press each ball into the coconut. Place the coated balls on a cookie sheet and chill, loosely covered, for 4 hours or overnight. This recipe can be doubled or tripled. Makes 2 1/2 to 3 dozen snowballs.

MIDDLE EAST GARBANZO BEANS WITH RAISINS (meat or pareve)

In a large sauce pan heat the oil and then saute the onion and garlic, stirring frequently until tender, about 7 minutes. Add remaining the butternut squash, chicken broth, raisins, turmeric, cinnamon and ginger. Heat the mixture to boiling. Reduce the heat and cover and cook until squash is tender, about 8 minutes. Stir in the garbanzo beans. When the mixture is hot through out serve over the hot rice. Serves 4

ALMOST CHERRY GARCIA COOKIES (dairy)

Inspired by Ben and Jerry's Cherry Garcia ice cream, this buttery cookie
offers the tang of chewy, dried sour cherries, with chunks of white and dark
chocolate... An adult cookie that kids also adore.

Preheat oven to 350. Plump dried cherries by covering with boiling water. Let stand a couple of minutes. Drain well and toss with cherry liqueur. Drain  when required or even better, let sit a couple of hours or overnight for best flavor, then drain and use in recipe. Cream butter with granulated and brown sugars. Blend in egg, vanilla and almond extracts. Fold in salt, baking soda and flour. Fold in drained cherries, white and semisweet chocolate and nuts. Batter should be soft. Drop in generous tablespoons onto baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Bake until lightly browned around edges, 12 to 14 minutes. Makes approx. 30 cookies.

This Recipe from: Marcy Goldman, a Montreal-based food writer and
professional bakery and pastry chef

Eileen Goltz, a professional chef and caterer, is the author of the new cookbook, Perfectly Pareve.