Linda’s Crispy Rice Salad

Posted on April 10, 2026 | Leave a comment

My friend Linda made this for lunch for our canasta game and it was a big hit. I loved it and knew I had to make it so thanks to Linda for passing this on to me and now I’m passing it on to you. Enjoy! it’s delicious and has that crispy rice which gives it the crunch and bite. It is a little spicy and a little sweet. Love all the flavor and texture going on here and plenty of nutrition going on here. there is some prep involved here but you can do everything ahead of time if you’d like.

Ingredients:

For the Rice:

2 cups cooked Jasmine rice, cooled — I used Uncle Ben’s rice in the microwave packet and it was perfect

1 Tbsp. low sodium soy sauce

1 Tbsp. sriracha

1 Tbsp. Vegetable Oil or Avocado Oil

2 tsps. sesame oil ( available in the asian section in most supermarkets)

For the Salad:

I used a small bag of shredded cabbage, you can use the Cole slaw mix or just plain white cabbage usually both are available

3 small Persian cucumbers, cut in 1/2 moons

1 small red bell pepper, diced

1 cup finely diced red onion

1/2 a ripe avocado, cut in small pieces

1/3 cup shelled edamame (available shelled in the frozen vegetable section of most supermarkets)

1/4 cup fresh chopped parsley

For the Dressing:

1/2 cup mayonnaise

2 Tbsps. Rice Vinegar

1 Tbsp. low sodium soy sauce

1 Tbsp. Honey

1 Tbsp. sesame oil

1/2 tsp. sriracha

Topping:

diced scallions

white sesame seeds- toast on a small sheet pan or piece of aluminum for about 2 to 3 minutes, watch carefully once you smell them it’s usually too late, so keep an eye on them

Directions:

Make the rice:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

In large bowl, combine the cooked and cooled Jasmine rice with the soy sauce, sriracha, vegetable oil, and sesame oil until the rice is well coated,

I sprayed a baking sheet with cooking spray and spread the seasoned rice on top in an even layer, pressing gently with a spatula

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, stirring halfway through until the rice is golden and crispy

Let it cool completely, then break apart

Assemble the Salad:

In a large serving bowl, add the cooled crispy rice, sliced Persian cucumbers, red bell pepper, red onion, avocado, shelled edamame , and chopped parsley. Top off with scallions and toasted sesame seeds.

Make the dressing, in a small bowl combine mayonnaise, rice vinegar, soy sauce, honey , sesame oil, and sriracha until incorporated and smooth.

I don’t like to dress the salad so I can keep it for leftovers, I leave the dressing on the table in a dressing jar so everyone can help themselves. Enjoy!

  • some tips
  • customize the ingredients to your liking if don’t like the cabbage mix leave it out, Mango is a nice fresh addition, peanuts or cashews if no allergies and you know it
  • Cilantro if everyone likes that
  • Make sure rice is truly cooled off
  • and use Jasmine rice or a long-grain rice including brown rice , short grain rice has a different texture and is not ideal for this recipe
  • I also serve alongside a grilled chicken sliced up for protein for those who like vegetarian you can keep it that way
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Matzo Brei

Posted on April 2, 2026 | Leave a comment

This is a delicious way to make a meal with eggs and matzo. Sometimes we eat it for dinner and it’s just sort of perfect. Real comfort food for us.  I always loved Matzo Brei since I was a little girl, and I always wondered why it is that we only eat this delicious concoction during Passover.  It’s such a delicious treat why don’t we eat it more often? In our house we usually eat it till the matzo runs out. Usually for the week of Passover, then we stop. It’s so good. Everyone has their own little special spin on it.  Before I met Joel I always ate my matzo brei sweet with maple syrup sort of a matzo french toast. Joel loves it crispy and salty with a lot of pepper and since I know him he always asks for it this way , I sort of grew to love it this way as well. What’s not to love?  You definitely don’t have to be Jewish to love Matzo Brei. This is how we make it around our house.

Ingredients:

*serves 2 just barely (can and should be doubled)

3 Sheets of Matzo broken into little pieces

2 Large Eggs

Salt and Pepper

2 Tablespoons Vegetable Oil to cover bottom of pan — but usually 2 Tablespoons is about right

Directions:

Break the matzo into little pieces and place in a bowl. Cover with very hot water from tap. Let it stand for a couple of minutes, and then drain it. ( I usually put a plate over bowl and pour out all the water) Beat Eggs in another bowl, season with salt and pepper. Use your own discretion here, Joel likes it with a lot of salt and pepper. Wait a few minutes so matzo isn’t very hot before adding the eggs then combine the eggs with the drained Matzo till a batter forms. Heat the vegetable oil in a large frying pan over medium -high heat — make sure oil is very hot . I carefully  add the matzo mixture to the hot oil  and start to fry it up scrambling it as I go, we like it in little pieces. ( you can make this batter into small pancakes as well and just fry up until golden brown) I cook it till it is all fryed up and crispy. It should cook up pretty quickly if the oil is hot enough. You can serve it with less salt and pepper and put jam on the side, maple syrup on it, cinnamon , whatever you like! Matzo Brei is awesome even when you feel like you can’t face another piece of matzo.

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Un-Stuffed Cabbage

Posted on March 28, 2026 | 1 comment

photo 3 (4)photo 2 (2)photo 3 (4)photo 3 (5)photo 4 (3)photo 2I love stuffed cabbage and my Grandmother made the most amazing stuffed cabbage ever . I love stuffed cabbage but do not feel like dealing with the actual stuffing of the cabbage, it is way too labor intensive for me.  I have made several variations of this and found this one to my liking the best. You can play with the ingredients which is what I did . Original recipe is from Kosher by Design and it is perfect for Passover by just leaving out the rice and substituting matzoh meal in its place. Most perfect for Rosh Hashana and use rice.  Basically this is meatballs in a sweet and sour sauce with cabbage . I doubt very much that Joel would ever eat real “stuffed cabbage” but he liked this. The cabbage cooks down so much that you don’t even realize you’re eating cabbage. I also used 1/2 chicken ground meat and 1/2 beef ground meat , this is entirely up to you. I wouldn’t do all chicken because it might be a bit dry, you can definitely make this with turkey but use dark meat turkey or the balls will also be very dry. You can also make this ahead for the holidays which is always a very good thing and feel free to freeze it.  This is the original recipe adjust amounts for how much you’re making – this recipe is for 3 lbs. if you’re making for less people and only use 2 lbs. of meat you can cut ingredients accordingly.  You’ll want to use a large pot for this recipe. Enjoy!

*for passover substitute matzoh meal for rice

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Ingredients:

Meat

3 lbs. ground meat– I used chicken and beef (dark meat turkey is best here) white meat turkey tends to be very dry. Mixed with beef it’s fine but if using alone you’ll need to use dark meat ground turkey. Use any meat you’d like or I like to combine — sometimes dark meat ground turkey with beef or all turkey — you need 3 lbs. White meat chicken tends to be very dry — so I will mix with beef 80/20 — do what works best for you

2 large eggs, lightly beaten. Use room temperature eggs they work best.*see my post about eggs–a little note on my blog.

3/4 cup uncooked long grain white rice, for Passover use matzoh meal and omit the rice – for Passover if you observe use 1/2 cup Matzoh Meal

1/4 cup water

1 onion finely chopped

Kosher Salt to taste–app. 1/2 to 1 tablespoon

Pepper to taste–app. 10 grinds on a pepper mill, or app. 1/4 of a tablespoon

*garlic powder if you like

Sauce:

2 packages of shredded cabbage, probably about 1 head of cabbage finely shredded, no need to do it when you can buy it pre-shredded (not red cabbage)

1 Tablespoon Vegetable Oil

Kosher Salt to taste ( app. 1/2 tablespoon)

1 1/2 tablespoons Kosher Salt

1 1/2 cups tomato juice

4 8 ounce cans tomato sauce ( or 32 ounces)

1/2 cup brown sugar ( use whichever brown sugar you have in house , it won’t make a difference. Light or Dark, I actually used dark.

1 cup sugar

3 lemons squeezed , I got about 1/2 cup , they were smallish lemons

1/2 cup raisins

Directions:

In a large mixing bowl combine the meat, eggs, water, rice and onions. Season with Salt and Pepper , and if you like garlic powder. Gently mix by hand, and I do mean gently, if you over do it the meat will be like concrete. Set aside.

Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the shredded cabbage and about 1/2 tablespoon of kosher salt. Simmer for 10 minutes. Add the tomato juice, tomato sauce, brown sugar, sugar, lemon juice and the raisins. Stir till well combined and continue cooking sauce at simmer setting.

Gently form meatballs out of the meat mixture, I made a rather nice size meatball, not too large and not too small. Make whatever size you’d like. Just do not over-handle the meat because it will cause meat to toughen. Add to cabbage mixture, just drop into the hot sauce and do not stir, you can pile them on top of one another because they will cook down.

I left it to simmer for about 1 1/2 hours . I didn’t touch the meat balls for at least the first 1/2 hour, you’ll want them to cook through and form into nice balls before you stir, so just leave them to cook. After the first 1/2 hour or so you can gently stir and move the meatballs around. They don’t require a lot of stirring around .

This dish brought back memories of my childhood and was a most satisfying main dish.

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Matzoh Crunch ( like candy)

Posted on March 27, 2026 | Leave a comment


Many years ago I made this recipe and it was so awesome that it’s been part of our Seder ever since. It’s easy to make and really delicious to eat.  Marcy who is a great cook and gave me this recipe says she must always supply it for her kids, and she keeps in containers in  the refrigerator and sends them home with it ( even better) this is the stuff that I find deadly to keep around. It’s candy, and fun to make with your kids or grandkids. You can use white chocolate, M & M’s , or toasted almonds/pecans /walnuts etc. or stick with recipe as it is.

 Thanks for sharing  the recipe Marcy.

Happy Passover!

Ingredients:

4 – 6 unsalted matzoh sheets

1 cup unsalted butter or margarine

1 cup brown sugar, firmly packed

3/4 cup chocolate chips or semi-sweet chips you can use white chips as well

*nuts if you’d like sprinkled on top (almonds/walnuts etc.) or colored sprinkles are fun ! 

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees

Line a cookie sheet with foil and cover bottom of pan with baking parchment on top of foil. ( this is important b/c mixture is very very sticky) Line bottom of pan evenly with matzoh sheets, cutting extra pieces of matzoh to fit on the cookie sheet as even as possible. Combine margarine/butter and brown sugar in a heavy bottomed saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and pour over matzoh. Place in oven and reduce heat to 350 degrees.  Bake for 15 minutes watching to make sure the mixture is not burning. Remove from oven and sprinkle chocolate chips on top. Let stand 5 minutes, then spread melted chocolate over matzoh after you spread melted chocolate sprinkle with whatever toppings you like — I like colored sprinkles and chopped pecans . While still warm, cut into squares or odd shapes and put in refrigerator until set. Chocolate will get hard. I think it’s better to go with the “odd shapes” as it may be hard to cut perfectly square. You can use white chocolate, and if you’d like sprinkle nuts on top as I mentioned above.

Once it’s completely cooled down you can put into containers and store it will keep for a while. So you can definitely make this recipe ahead of time.

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My Favorite Macaroons–Traditional Style for Passover

Posted on March 26, 2026 | 1 comment

macaroons for passover

I am not sure why I only make these macaroons during Passover. They are definitely my favorites; they are very easy to make, look totally professional, and are the Passover cookie in my book. These can be made ahead of time and stored. I usually make a few days before the Seder because I dip them in melted chocolate (just the tops). You don’t have to dip, you can leave plain. I dip up to 1/2 the macaroon in the chocolate. They are sweet and crunchy on the outside, and moist and chewy on the inside. After Passover, if there are any left over, I freeze them. Cannot have them lying around. Of course you may make these any time of year…they are always welcome on the menu.

*When dipping, just turn macaroon upside down (with top part into the chocolate). I usually go just a bit more than the top (probably 1/2 the macaroon into the chocolate). Use as much or as little as you like.

*just a little note, silpat is awesome to use for this recipe instead of parchment paper. You must cool completely before trying to lift off the paper. Also before you dip into chocolate I like to cool down completely.

This could be a fun recipe to do with your kids. A little messy but whatever — desperate times call for desperate measures right? They may not come out uniform but the kids could have fun making them and dipping them.

Stay Safe and Be Smart

Ingredients:

3  large egg whites (When I bake, I always leave eggs out so that they are at room temp.)

1/2  cup sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 package (14 oz.) sweetened, flaked coconut ( I like this Angel Flake Baker’s Brand, but they’re all fine)

*1 package semi-sweet chocolate chips (You can really use any semi-sweet chocolate to melt. It’s just easy with the chips.)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper (you can use non stick cooking spray, like Pam, but I just line with parchment, which works really well).

In a large bowl, whisk together egg whites, sugar and salt until frothy. With a fork, stir in coconut until moistened.

Using a level tablespoon (measuring ones are perfect), pack the mixture into the spoon, so all macaroons are equal size. Drop mixture onto prepared sheet (cookies will not spread). Bake until golden brown, about 25 – 30 minutes. Towards the end, check on them to be sure they don’t burn. I make a little peak with my fingers on the cookies before I bake them (this makes for easier dipping). You can also just leave the top round — this is perfectly fine.

*To melt chocolate on stove top: I bring a small saucepan of water to a rolling boil, and on top of it put a small stainless (oven proof) bowl filled with the chocolate.( works like a double boiler if you don’t have one) When it completely melts, take off heat. Once macaroons are completely cool, you can dip the tops. Just make sure chocolate and macaroons are cooled off first. Just dip top of cookie in chocolate and place on a plate to cool. When I am all done, I refrigerate the macaroons to set the chocolate. You can leave in fridge until you are ready to serve and take out with enough time to bring to room temp. Before serving, I usually use a cool cookie sheet with parchment paper to cool off cookies once they’ve been dipped.

*should yield about 20 – 25 cookies. You can double if you’d like.

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Happy New Year Brisket – perfect for Passover

Posted on March 25, 2026 | Leave a comment

Brisket can definitely be an intimidating thing to make. I once made it as a young cook, and it was perfectly inedible. Back then, I couldn’t believe how long it took to cook, but it does take very long. Now I usually make it in the slow cooker which is an awesome way to go but this time I used my trusty Le Creuset, which worked out beautifully. A lot of people have some pretty awesome brisket recipes and I welcome you to send me yours. This really couldn’t be any easier and it’s super tasty. This original recipe came from my friend, Michele (with a few comments from Karyn too.) I did change a few things to the original recipe, but not a lot and I thank Michele for the recipe.

INGREDIENTS:

4 lb. brisket (I didn’t need larger but you can adjust this recipe for whatever size brisket you use)

Lawry’s seasoned salt available in the spice aisle

2 large Spanish onions (Karyn uses Vidalia, which is also good), sliced thickly

2 cans of tomato sauce , I used the 16 oz. size. You can also use the 1 can of 28 oz. size. It depends on you and how much sauce you like.

2 tbsp. brown sugar (this is my addition. It doesn’t really change the flavor so much as cut the salt a bit)

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

I sprinkled Lawry’s seasoned salt on both sides of the brisket (generously) then seared it in the Le Creuset pot with a little vegetable oil–probably about a tablespoon. (After the meat was seared, it shrunk to fit perfectly in my pot but I don’t think that a larger brisket would have fit.) Next, I added the tomato sauce and onions, covered the pot and put it in the oven. I cooked it for a total of 3 hours. I checked on it after each hour, which probably wasn’t even necessary. I then let it cool, off of the heat, for about an hour. Next, I sliced it with an electric knife, which came out beautifully. The meat was soft, but not falling apart at all. I then added the brown sugar to the gravy, put the brisket in a container with the gravy and froze it. I’ll take it out the night before I serve. Karyn pulses her gravy with an immersion blender. I didn’t do this but I think it makes for a good suggestion. In fact, I might still do it next time I make this recipe.  I’ll let you know. Thanks again Michele and Karyn!

  • I also use an electric knife to cut my brisket –I find it works best (worth the investment and a rather inexpensive one at that–you’ll have it for years)

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Chicken Marbella–perfect for Holiday Cooking

Posted on March 24, 2026 | Leave a comment

This recipe is my “go to” chicken. I’ve made it almost every Passover and Rosh Hashana since I found it. many moons ago. The original recipe is from the “Silver Palate” cookbook.  It has been a staple on my holiday table for as far back as I can remember.  It’s really a perfect recipe for any time of the year.  

*the key to this recipe is an overnight marination so don’t skip that and obviously 4 chickens is a lot of chicken depending on how many people you have and what other dishes you have you can cut in 1/2 easily!  I usually cut in 1/2 and it’s more than enough. Also use whatever pieces you like, I do thighs bone in skin one, and breasts bone in skin on and ask the butcher to cut breasts in 1/2. It makes for easier cooking and serving!

Enjoy! and Happy Passover to all of those who celebrate.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup olive oil

1/2 cup red wine vinegar

1 cup pitted prunes

1/2 cup pitted Spanish green olives (no pimentos)( if you can’t find, just pick out pimentos)

1/2 cup capers with a bit of juice

6 bay leaves

1 head of garlic, peeled and finely pureed(chopped well)app. 10-12 cloves in a head

1/4 cup dried oregano

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste (I start with 1 teaspoon kosher salt, and a few grinds of black pepper.)

4 chickens, cut into eighths (original recipe calls for chickens to be quartered but I find that you get more per person if you do it in eighths.) the chickens are about 2 1/2 lbs. apiece , so it’s about 10 lbs. of chicken . Sometimes I ask the butcher to cut the breasts in 1/2, if they are very large. 

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup dry white wine

1/4 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley (finely chopped)

Directions:

Combine the olive oil, vinegar, prunes, olives, capers and their juice, bay leaves, garlic, oregano, and salt and pepper. ( You can combine in a large bowl, but I use a large Ziploc bag.) Add the chicken, then stir or mix around to coat well. Refrigerate overnight.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Take a large shallow baking pan (you may need 2), arrange the chicken in a single layer and spoon the marinade over it evenly. Then sprinkle the chicken pieces with the brown sugar and pour the white wine around them.

Bake, basting frequently with the pan juices until the thigh pieces yield a clear yellow juice (don’t want it pink). It takes anywhere between 50 to 60 minutes to cook. (Test thigh with a fork.)

When you are ready to serve, transfer the chicken with a slotted spoon to serving platter. Moisten with some of the pan juices and sprinkle generously with the parsley. You can pass the remaining juices in a gravy boat.

*should serve 10 or more

* this chicken is delicious cold or at room temperature. If you make ahead and it is in fridge, just remove from fridge, reheat it in the juices, then allow to come to room temperature.

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Peach Farfel for Passover – crowd favorite

Posted on March 23, 2026 | 2 comments

 
This is most definitely a “must have” Passover recipe.  It has been a winning no no recipe ever since my friend Audrey gave it to me many years ago. This one is probably one of the most favorite Passover staples. Recipes are funny in that -they tend to spread out to a wide group of people and people start passing them down to their people and so forth and so on and before you know it no one remembers where the original recipe came from , they just remember that it was on their Passover table and they can’t imagine a Seder dinner without it.  Enjoy this one; it is sweet and makes for a delicious side dish with poultry or beef. This has always been a crowd pleaser. I know, the amount of eggs is obscene on this holiday! This one has 7 eggs in it!!!!!

Make this part of your Passover tradition, you’ll be happy you did.

Follow me on Instagram @cookingwithcandi and please DM me or email me any questions or comments — I look forward to hearing from all of you. Happy Cooking from my kitchen to yours .

  • as I said I have never froze this particular recipe but I would cook 1/2 way so it’s in a more solid form and then wrap well and freeze. If you’re lucky enough to have an extra freezer and can freeze in the original baking dish even better.

Ingredients:

1 box matzoh farfel (I think it’s in a canister now) you will need 16 ounces of the farfel

2 15 oz. cans sliced peaches

7 eggs

2 cups sugar

1 tsp. salt

2 sticks margarine, melted

2 tsp. vanilla

4 cups hot water

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Place dry farfel in a bowl, then pour hot water over it. Let stand until absorbed.

In a separate bowl, combine eggs, syrup from peaches, salt, sugar, margarine, and vanilla. Add farfel and combine well. In a well sprayed 9 x 12 baking dish, pour 1/2 the mixture, then arrange a layer of peaches on top. Add remaining mixture on top, then top with remaining peaches. Sprinkle with just a bit of cinnamon if you’d like. Bake for 1 hour at 350 degrees. Serve hot out of oven, or room temp. It is quite delicious at room temperature, if you don’t have the room in your oven, and it makes for a pretty awesome leftover.

Can be assembled, cooked 1/2 way through, then cooked the rest of the way through on the day of the holiday.

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Posted in Dairy, Holiday Recipes, Kugel, meatless, Passover Recipes, Pudding

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Homemade Chicken Soup with Not-So-Homemade Matzo Balls

Posted on March 22, 2026 | Leave a comment

IMG_4514I always make my own chicken soup. It is delicious broth. I usually make a few batches and freeze them because it’s a great thing to have frozen in quart containers as stock and will last for up to six months frozen. When the holidays come—whether Rosh Hashanah or Passover—I always make my chicken soup with matzo balls. I make the soup a day ahead and skim whatever fat is on there before adding my matzo balls. Keep reading for my “secret matzo ball recipe”.

INGREDIENTS: CHICKEN STOCK:

1 5lb. organic roasting chicken (I throw away the insides)

1 package of chicken wings (this was suggested to me a long time ago by my BFF Karyn and she was oh so right. It adds some fat, which translates into a lot of flavor and you will skim off the fat the next day. Thanks, Karyn…yes, I remembered!)

1 large, yellow Spanish onion; unpeeled and quartered

A big bunch of dill

4 celery stalks with leaves, cut into thirds

4 carrots, unpeeled and halved

Bunch of flat-leaf parsley (Use this only if you want. This time, I didn’t have it so I used only the dill.)

A bunch of thyme (if you wish)

1 head of garlic, cut in half cross-wise (skin and all)

2 tbsp. kosher salt

2 tsp. whole black peppercorns

DIRECTIONS FOR SOUP:

I place the chicken, chicken wings, onion, carrots, celery, whatever herbs I’m using, garlic, salt and pepper in as large a  pot as I can find (usually about a 16-20 qt. stockpot.) Add cold water to cover chicken by at least 2 inches above the chicken but not to the top of the pot because it will boil over (very messy). Bring to a boil and then simmer, uncovered, for about 3 hours. I skim the soup skum (sounds lovely) off for the first half hour or so—after that, you shouldn’t have much more. I remove the chicken from the broth after an hour or so, because it is cooked and it will taste like a rubber chicken if you plan on eating it. Sometimes, I like to shred it and return it to the soup. If you are not using the chicken (what a waste of good chicken), just leave it in. It will fall apart in there. I leave the wings and discard them at the end of the 3 hours. Next, I strain all of the soup, discard all remnants, fill my containers and put in the fridge. The next day (or the day of the holiday), I usually skim off the fat that has risen to the top and make my matzo balls (recipe below).

MATZO BALLS:

This has always been my secret, but now it’s out. Okay, I own it. After years of making matzo balls from scratch, my mother (yes, my mother, the cook) turned me on to Manischewitz boxed matzo ball mix! It just wasn’t worth it. My balls weren’t as consistent as I would have liked, whereas these are always perfection! Light and fluffy and everyone always loves them. No sinkers here!

I follow the directions on the box carefully. They sell just the mix box. You will need vegetable oil and 2 eggs per box. I do add a little piece of dill inside each ball, but that’s it! Now my secret is out. Sometimes this is really the only way to go. It saves time and ingredients and is really good. No MSG or trans-fats either! So make the soup, cheat with the balls, and enjoy. There is no substitute for homemade chicken soup, though.

*You can also add thin soup noodles to this recipe, if you like. (obviously not on Passover)

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Traditional Ashkenazi Charoset–Apple/Walnut

Posted on March 21, 2026 | 2 comments

DSCN2703This is my easiest Charoset to make — all in the food processor.   It’s traditional in the sense that it’s an Ashkenazi (Eastern European) recipe. I add a little brown sugar instead of white sugar and it gives it just a bit more character. Remember, while a reminder of the mortar used in making bricks for Pharaoh, charoset is really just a sweet condiment of apples and wine! And we love it on Matzoh!

Have a Sweet Passover !

Ingredients:

3 medium Fuji apples (or any other kind you like), peeled, cored and finely diced (use processor to make your life simpler) I usually use whatever is in the house, but on Passover I go through so many apples, so buy what you like (I always like Granny Smith because they are nice and tart)

1 1/2 cups walnuts, chopped (buy them pre-chopped)

1/2 cup sweet red wine such as Manischewitz Extra Heavy Malaga or just Concord Grape is fine

*20 pitted dates, chopped; or 1/2 cup golden raisins (optional)

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 tablespoon packed brown sugar

*for a bit of extra added flavor you can add 1/2 teaspoon of powdered ginger (optional)

Directions:

After chopping apples, stir all ingredients in a large bowl. Keep in refrigerator ’til ready to serve. Serve at room temperature. You can also pulse everything together in processor, just be very careful not to over-process. I often do this to save time. You don’t want it too fine, so just go gently with the processor if you go that route. I do it in the processor, and I know exactly how I like it to come out, so go easy with the chopping.  If it’s a little dry or too thick, you can always add more wine. I find this always tastes better after it sits and allows the wine  to really soak and ripen for 24 hours. Before serving, check for consistency and add a little more wine, if necessary.

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Posted in condiment, Holiday Recipes, Passover Recipes, Raw, sides, vegetarian

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