Apple Strawberry Crumble

No, this crumble isn’t low fat, but it’s easy and presents nicely. It’s delicious as an accompaniment for meat or chicken, and can even double as a dessert, served with vanilla ice cream and strawberry syrup. If you prefer less crumbs, you can halve the crumble, or save the rest for a different recipe.

• 7 apples, peeled and sliced
• ½ cup sugar
• 2 tsp lemon juice
• ½ tsp cinnamon
• 1 small box strawberries, cleaned and sliced (or use frozen)

Crumble

• 2½ cups potato starch
• ¾ cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 cup oil
• 3½–4 oz (100 g) ground nuts
• 1 tsp vanilla sugar (optional)

Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).

Mix together apples, sugar, lemon juice, and cinnamon. Place on the bottom of a 9×13-inch (23×33-cm) baking pan or 2 9-inch (23-cm) round pans. Arrange sliced strawberries on top.

Mix the crumb ingredients with a fork. Crumble on top of strawberries and bake uncovered for 1–1.5 hours, or until done. I recommend putting a piece of foil under the pan (or pans) to catch crumbs that might fall and make a mess.

Note: This kugel can be frozen. Let it defrost slightly at room temperature, then warm in the oven at a low temperature. When you see that it’s defrosted, turn the oven to a higher temperature until completely heated through.

Tip: In order to reduce the calories and fat, I tried using half oil and half applesauce. The results were satisfactory (it was all eaten!), but, honestly, not the same texture as with all oil.

—Brynie Greisman, recipe columnist

Jerusalem Artichokes with Fig and Shallots

Creating side dishes that are unique but not more labor intensive is not easy, which is why I always revert back to vegetables with a sweet and salty component. Here, the Jerusalem artichokes add a comforting potato-like component, while the figs add a sweetness. It may seem avant garde, but it’s actually just about throwing a few of my go-to produce items together. Plug and play your own!

Sauté sliced shallots in a little salt.

Boil Jerusalem artichokes until almost fork-tender. Transfer to a grill pan or place under a broiler and grill them so they’re slightly charred. Season with a drizzle of maple syrup. Combine with shallots and sliced figs. Top with rosemary.

—Rivki Rabinowitz, editor, Family Room

Strawberry Rhubarb Bake with Streusel Topping

If you’re seeking a sweet side, look no further. This dish is a perfect combination of tart and sweet. For a fruity finish to your meal, serve warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream.

SERVES 12

• 1¼ cups sugar
• 3 Tbsp potato starch
• 2 lb (920 g) fresh or frozen strawberries, trimmed and halved
• 1½ lb (680 g) rhubarb, sliced in ½-inch (1-cm) strips
• 2 tsp fresh lemon juice
• 1 tsp lemon zest, optional

Streusel Topping

• ¾ cup Pesach crumbs
• ½ cup crushed ladyfingers
• ¼ cup potato starch
• ½ tsp cinnamon
• ¼ tsp salt
• 10 Tbsp (1¼ sticks) margarine, cut in pieces and softened, or 8 Tbsp oil

Preheat oven to 425°F (220°C).

In a large bowl, stir sugar and potato starch. Gently toss with strawberries, rhubarb, lemon juice, and zest. Transfer mixture to a 9×13-inch (23×33-cm) baking pan or an oven-to-tableware.

Mix streusel ingredients together in a bowl or ziplock bag and spread over the fruit mixture. Bake for 40–45 minutes.

—Rivky Kleiman, recipe columnist

Pineapple Kugel

I found this recipe years ago in a Nshei cookbook that someone gave me, and it’s been a favorite of ours ever since. Quick, easy, and yummy. I often serve it for Shalosh Seudos because it’s so light and sweet, and it warms up quickly too.

• 4 eggs
• ½ cup sugar
• 4 Tbsp potato starch
• 1 Tbsp vanilla sugar
• ½ cup oil (or ¼ cup oil + ¼ cup applesauce)
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 20-oz (570-g) can crushed pineapple, drained (see note)
• cinnamon, for sprinkling

Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).

Place all ingredients except cinnamon in a large bowl and beat until combined. Pour into a 9-inch (23-cm) round pan and sprinkle cinnamon on top. Bake for 45–50 minutes, until the top is golden.

Tip: You can double the recipe and use a 9×13-inch (23×33-cm) pan. You can also put the regular batter into a 9×13-inch pan for a slightly different texture.

Note: Anyone who lives in Israel knows that you can’t find crushed pineapple here! I used to blend the pineapple first in a food processor, but eventually I realized that the kugel tastes just as good when made with pieces of pineapple, so I don’t bother anymore.

—Chaya Baila Lieber, copy editor

Sweet Roasted Pears and Yams

I love writing for Mishpacha because I know my recipes will end up on Kosher.com, and when I want to find a favorite, I just google it. That’s what I did for this one…

• ⅓ cup oil
• ¼ cup pure maple syrup
• 1 tsp salt
• ¼ tsp white pepper or a tiny pinch of cayenne pepper (optional)
• 3 large sweet potatoes, unpeeled, skin scrubbed, sliced into half-moons
• 1 quart half-slices firm Bartlett pears — about 3 medium pears (half-moons or thick French-fry shaped)
• cinnamon, for sprinkling

Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C).

Mix oil, syrup, and spices. Toss with sweet potatoes and pears. Spread the fruit and veggies on a lined baking sheet and sprinkle with cinnamon.

Bake for 30 minutes, then flip and bake an additional 30 minutes or until tender to your liking. (I like when they get really soft.)

Serve warm or at room temperature.

Note: You can roast this ahead of time and rewarm, uncovered, in a low oven.

—Chaia Frishman, columnist

Apple Kugel

Reprinted from Overtimecook.com

Growing up, we used few products on Pesach, but ladyfingers were allowed. My mother used to get so creative with their uses, and that inspired this fan-favorite apple kugel recipe.

Filling

• 3 apples, peeled and thinly sliced
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 2 Tbsp sugar

Crumbs

• 1½ cups crushed ladyfingers
• ½ cup ground almonds
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 tsp baking powder (optional, but recommended)
• 1 egg
• ½ cup oil

Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Lightly grease a 9×13-inch (23×33-cm) baking pan and set aside.

To prepare filling: Place thinly sliced apples in a bowl. Immediately toss with lemon juice (to prevent browning) and sugar. Set aside.

To prepare crumbs: Mix together the ladyfinger crumbs, ground almonds, sugar, and baking powder (if using) in a large bowl. Add the egg and oil and stir with your fingers until coarse crumbs form.

Place a little less than half of the crumbs on the bottom of the prepared baking pan. Spread the apple filling evenly over the crumbs. Pour remaining crumbs over the apples in an even layer to ensure all apples are covered.

Bake for about 40 minutes, until golden brown on top.

Note: You can also bake this in a 10-inch (26-cm) round pan for a slightly higher kugel.

—Miriam (Pascal) Cohen, recipe columnist

Banana-Nut Matzah Kugel

This kugel has been a family favorite for decades. It’s not for everyone. For starters, it’s gebrochts. Second, it has banana in it, and you have to be a little adventurous to try a kugel with banana. But the banana doesn’t stand out (think of banana muffins), and the end result is a sweet kugel that’s soft on the inside and crunchy on the outside, goes well with most mains, and is super easy too.

• 3 cups crushed matzah (around 8 matzos)
• 3 eggs
• ½ cup sugar
• ½ tsp salt
• ⅓ cup oil
• 2 bananas, sliced
• ⅓ cup walnuts, coarsely crushed
• 1 tsp cinnamon

Put the crushed matzah in a bowl of cold water, let sit for 5 minutes, then drain all the water. Add the eggs. Add remaining ingredients to the matzah mixture and mix well. Pour into a well-greased 9×13-inch (23×33-cm) baking pan, and bake at 350°F (175°C) for half an hour or until lightly brown.

—Bassi Gruen, managing editor

Havij Polo (Sweet Carrot Rice)

For all of the kitniyoters! This is something that my kids love and even enjoy cold. It’s great for year round; I make it almost every Yom Tov!

• 4 cups extra-long-grain basmati rice
• 2 Tbsp oil
• ½ tsp turmeric
• dash salt

Carrot Topping

• ¼ cup oil
• 8 large carrots, finely diced
• ¾–1 cup water
• 1¼ cups sugar, or to taste
• 2 Tbsp liquid saffron (steep saffron sprigs in hot water)
• 1½ tsp cinnamon

Fill a large pot halfway with water and bring to a boil. Pour in rice and allow to boil for about 5–7 minutes until the rice is par-cooked. (The best way to tell if the rice is ready is take one grain and break it in half, the center should be more white than the outside.)

Drain the rice. In the same pot, place 2 Tbsp oil, turmeric, and salt. Turn the heat to high and allow the oil to heat. Once hot, add the rice back to the pot on top of the oil mixture and try to pull the rice away from the sides of the pot, creating a pyramid of rice. Place two paper towels over the top of the pot and cover with the lid. Cook on high for about 4–5 minutes, then reduce heat to low and allow to cook for an hour.

To make the carrot topping: Heat 1/4 cup oil in a frying pan. Add the carrots and sauté for about 5 minutes. Add the water, sugar, saffron, and cinnamon. Simmer on low until most of the water has been absorbed and just the soft carrots and syrup are left.

Gently fold the carrot mixture into the rice. The bottom of the pot of rice will have a golden tahdig, which is crispy rice. Serve and enjoy!

—Sarina Laghaei, ad design

(Originally featured in Family Table, Issue 786)