Everyone loves hummus — or at least, everyone I know! Here’s an easy homemade hummus recipe, with 12 tasty variations.
While packaged hummus is available almost anywhere food is sold, I still enjoy making my own. It’s easy and tastes better than store-bought. And this DIY version is more economical, yielding a larger quantity.
Hummus is useful as a spread for fresh pita as an appetizer, as well as in sandwiches and wraps. It’s also nice as a dip for cut fresh vegetables, including carrots, bell peppers, turnips, and celery.
Sweet noodle kugel, the Jewish classic, is made dairy free, but it’s just as luscious as the original. Noodle kugel, a staple Eastern European comfort food, is a cross between a side dish and a dessert — a rich, substantial one at that.
Noodle kugel is often served at holidays and is especially appropriate for the Jewish New Year (Rosh Hashanah), when sweet foods are favored.
What’s a kugel? Basically defined, a kugel is simply a casserole. In the Jewish tradition, one that’s built around a specific food, like this one featuring noodles. Another famous one is potato kugel, and we’ve got a recipe for that one, too.
The traditional recipe for noodle kugel features egg noodles bathed in lots of dairy (in the form of cottage cheese, cream cheese, farmer’s cheese, or a combination). Often, eggs and lots of butter are part of the mix, adding up to a crescendo of cholesterol.
This vegan version proves that it doesn’t have to be that way. It tastes just as decadent, with less fat and no cholesterol. Your bubbe might think it’s weird to make lokschen kugel with silken tofu, but once she tastes it, she’ll kvell. Photos by Hannah Kaminsky, Bittersweet Blog.
Completely nontraditional and aligned with entirely the wrong Jewish holiday, these are definitely not your Bubbie’s matzah balls. Bound together with roasted pumpkin puree, I prefer to think of them more as matzah dumplings, since they bear a denser, more toothsome texture than the fluffy pillows of Passover lore. The goal of this wintery interpretation was not to perfect the vegan matzah ball, but to create something with the same sort of comforting flavors, revamped with a more seasonal spin.
This simple cabbage recipe is a quick and healthy side that goes perfectly with rice, chapati bread, or even matzah!
This easy salad does double duty, serving for both International Mediterranean Diet Month and National Salad Month. It offers loads of vibrant flavors and, unlike many eggplant recipes, is easy on the oil. Enjoy with tabbouleh, hummus, and other Mediterranean marvels as part of a mezze—small plates that make up a meal.
I’m a bit late in posting for the month of Av which includes the day of mourning, Tisha b’Av, and Tu b’Av, often called the Jewish Valentines Day. The dichotomous holidays take us through a range of emotions from sadness and sorrow moving towards comfort and joy, as we start to prepare for the high holidays. In fact the month is often called Menachem Av, which means comforter or consoler. Literally, as we move through the day of Tisha b’Av, we gradually move to a more hopeful emotional state and towards one of more comfort. We go from sitting on the floor, as is customary with mourners to sitting in chairs. Emotionally, despite the pain of Tisha b’Av, we also have hope. In Judaism, because of our history we always carry narrative of pain and sorrow but are never defeated by it and always look for redemption in even the darkest places. We are steadfast in our optimism.
Traditionally the final meal for the Tisha b’Av fast, one would eat an egg and bread dipped in ashes. Using the month’s themes of comfort and nourishment, I wanted to create a recipe that conveys them. I am visiting family in Chicago where fresh summer corn is readily available and delicious. I used the ingredients from the Angelic Organics CSA box, run by the famous Farmer John. I sprinkled a tiny bit of corn husk ash on each bowl of soup, as a reminder of the ash eaten before Tisha b’Av. The recipe is adapted from one I found on the Minimalist Baker.
Bourekas are a kind of baked pastry that’s popular in Sephardic Jewish cuisine. They are made in a wide variety of shapes, with a vast selection of fillings inside the flaky puff pastry. One bite of this spinach and almond cheese-filled version fresh from the oven and you’ll surely be a fan.
Polenta is a dish that is popular in Italy and Romania. It is made out of corn grits, so it is naturally gluten-free. I grew up eating it since my mom is Romanian and she used to make it for us all the time. The mushrooms and gravy is inspired by a popular “wedding dish” from the ’70s and ’80s in Israel. I thought this would be perfect for Thanksgiving. This dish is the ultimate comfort food!
This simple, tasty, creamy dip is perfect as an easy side or as a schmear on your Yom Kippur break-fast bagel. It’s healthy, easy, and delicious!
Ethiopian gomen, or hamli, is a dish of softened collard greens that pairs beautifully with injera bread.
