In the Kitchen with Henny: Fun foods for Purim

This is such a busy and (should be) joyous time of year. We know that’s not easy this year. I believe it’s no coincidence that God gave us two months of Adar, a month when we are supposed to increase our joy and happiness, as this year we need to work twice as hard to feel the joy.

Perhaps if we find even one thing in our lives that we are grateful for each day and let that bring us joy, we can together bring more light into the world. So with that, here are some fun ideas to add to your Purim seudah that will bring smiles to all who attend.

BAKED MINI EGG ROLLS

These are a great finger food to serve as appetizers for the Purim seudah or just to have on hand for pop-in guests on this very festive, busy day! These are super easy to make and they freeze very well. So you can make them ahead of time and know it’s done!

 Yields 36 mini egg rolls.

• 5 round melawach
• 2 cups shredded cabbage/coleslaw mix
• 2 onions, diced
• 2 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1 tsp. salt
• Dash of ground black pepper
• 1 egg for brushing

Preheat the oven to 170°C/350°F and line a cookie sheet with baking paper.

Heat up a large frying pan with the olive oil. Sauté the onions and add in the salt and pepper. Continue for about 5-6 minutes until the onions soften and are translucent. Add in the cabbage, and saute for another 3-4 minutes until the cabbage softens a bit. 

Take one of your melawach (should be defrosted) and cut it into six triangles. Spread the onion and cabbage mixture on the malawach and roll, rugelach style, from the wide end of the triangle to the tip. You should have 6 mini rugelach from each melawach. Place them on the baking tray. Brush with egg wash, you can add sesame seeds if you wish. Bake for 12 - 15 minutes; let cool before storing. Keep refrigerated for up to two days, or in the freezer for up to three weeks. Serve warm.

HAWAIIAN BEEF SKEWERS

These beef skewers are easy to make, look very festive, and taste amazing! Simple ingredients – and you don’t even need a grill.

Yields 12 skewers.

• 1 kilo steak
• Pineapple chunks
• 2 different colored peppers

Marinade:

• 1 cup pineapple juice
• 2 Tbsp. honey
• 1 Tbsp. soy sauce
• 1 tsp. ground ginger
• 1 tsp. garlic powder
• ½ tsp. ground black pepper

Soak the wooden skewers in water for 30 minutes.

Make the marinade using the juice from the pineapple chunks, soy sauce, honey, ginger and garlic, and place it on the bottom of a pan big enough for the skewers to marinade in.

Cube the steak, either ribeye/entrecote or minute steak (#5). Cut two different colored peppers into squares.

Assemble the skewers: pepper, pineapple, 2-3 cubes of beef, pineapple, pepper.

Place them in the pan of your marinade and turn them a few times to get coated. Marinade for a few hours or overnight in the fridge. Remove from the fridge an hour before grilling.

Preheat the oven to 220°C/450°F on the broil setting. Pour the marinade into a pan that is narrower than the length of the skewers, and place that pan in another larger pan to catch any of the drippings. Lay the skewers across the top of the smaller pan so that it is above the marinade. Broil for six minutes, turn the skewers, and then broil for another six minutes. Remove and let sit for a few minutes before serving.

GLUTEN-FREE HAMENTASHEN

Everyone loves hamentashen, especially since you get to fill them with whatever you want. This year I created a new gluten-free hamentashen recipe with a chocolate fudge filling (because chocolate is an essential food). But feel free to fill with your desired filling.

Yields 2 dozen hamentashen.

Dough:

• 2 eggs
• ¼ cup oil (I used coconut)
• ¼ cup vegan butter, softened
• ¼ cup honey/maple syrup
• ¼ cup sugar
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 2 ½ cups almond flour
• ¾ cup gluten-free flour
• ½ tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp. baking powder

Brownie filling:

• ½ cup sugar
• 3 Tbsp. icing sugar
• ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• ½ cup gluten-free flour
• ½ tsp. salt
• 1/3 cup vegan butter
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract

Using a mixer on high speed, mix together the eggs, oil, vegan butter, sugar, honey and vanilla till smooth and creamy. Add in the flours, salt, baking soda and baking powder and combine well with the egg mixture. Add in some almond flour slowly if the dough feels too sticky. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least an hour (overnight is good, too).

For the brownie filling: Use a mixer to cream together the butter, vanilla and egg. Add the remaining ingredients to the bowl and use a rubber spatula to mix well until a fudgy mixture forms. Cover and place in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 160°C/340°F. Sprinkle some almond flour onto a baking sheet and then roll out the cookie dough batter with a rolling pin till it's about ¼-inch thick. Use a 3” round cookie cutter to cut circles.

Remove the brownie filling from the fridge and place 1 tsp. in the center of each circle. Fold over one side of the circle, then the remaining two sides to form a triangle. Place the ready-to-be baked hamentashen on a lined baking sheet and bake for 12 minutes.

Let cool before storing in an airtight container. It keeps fresh for 3 days, or freeze to keep fresh for longer.

FESTIVE CAKE POPS

Cake pops have become so popular as they always look cheery and add pretty decor to any party, not to mention how they are perfect bite-sized treats on a stick that bring a smile to everyone’s face. You can use your own basic chocolate or vanilla cake recipe with butter-cream icing, but here I share my go to chocolate cake recipe with you.

Yields 25-30 cake pops.

Chocolate cake:

• ¾ cup oil
• 1¾ cups sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 2 cup flour
• ¾ cup cocoa
• 1¼ tsp. baking soda
• ¼ tsp. baking powder
• 1½ tsp. salt
• 1-1/3 cup water

Icing:

• ½ cup cocoa
• 2 cups confectioner sugar
• ½ stick margarine/vegan butter
• ½ tsp. vanilla extract
• ¼ cup water

For cake pops:

• 1 empty egg carton
• 30 lollipop sticks (local paper good store)
• 2 cups choco chips (white or dark)
• 1 Tbsp. oil
• Sprinkles to decorate

Preheat your oven to 170°C/350°F. In a mixing bowl, combine all the cake ingredients and beat on medium to high speed until the mixture is smooth. Grease a 9x13” pan (23x33cm.) and pour the cake batter into it. Bake for about 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean with a few crumbs. Allow the cake to cool completely.

For the frosting and cake pops: In a large mixing bowl, beat together all the frosting ingredients until creamy. Crumble the cooled cake into the frosting and mix on low speed until smooth and evenly combined. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Using a tablespoon, scoop out portions of the cake mixture and roll them into round balls. Place them on the lined baking sheet. Chill the cake balls in the fridge for at least one hour, or overnight.

For the chocolate coating: In a small pot over low heat, melt the chocolate chips and oil until smooth. Remove the cake balls from the fridge and re-roll them if necessary. Dip the tip of a lollipop stick into the melted chocolate and insert it halfway into a cake ball. Dip the cake pop into the melted chocolate, allowing any excess to drip back into the pot. Decorate with sprinkles and place the bottom end of the stick into an upside-down egg carton to cool. Repeat the dipping and decorating process for all the cake pops. Keep the cake pops refrigerated until ready to serve.

PURIM IS known for turning things around in an instant – v’nahafoch hu – in ways we never could have imagined. Let’s hope by the time we reach Purim this year, things will look a lot brighter for all of us, and we’ll be able to have lots to rejoice over.

Chag Purim sameach!

The writer is a kitchen coach who teaches women how to meal plan and cook so they get dinner on the table and prepare for Shabbat on time. Check out her Peaceful Planning for Pesach Program at www.inthekitchenwithhenny.com