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I made this compote for Thanksgiving. Our tradition is to open wine sometime in the afternoon- while I am still cooking. Around 3 I take the cheese and crackers out. I usually make a fig compote cooked in red wine, brown sugar and fresh thyme. It is delicious, especially with some aged goat cheese. We also drink Kir Royale with the cheese and crackers. I love the tradition and look forward to it every year.

The other thing I did different was the compote. I made this one with dried figs and apricots. I decided to use orange and lemon juice with honey. I served it with a variety of Spanish cheeses including manchego, an aged goat cheese and another one- can’t remember the name.

Definitely make this for your next holiday get together. It is quick, easy and delicious. You can make this in advance and keep it in the fridge. Enjoy!

• ½ cup dried mission figs, cut into thin strips
• ½ cup dried apricots, cut into thin strips
• 1 cup fresh orange juice
• ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons honey
• ¼ teaspoon salt

In a small saucepan, add the figs, apricots, orange juice, lemon juice, honey and salt. Bring the liquid to a boil and turn it down to a simmer. Reduce the liquid till the compote is thick and syrupy. It will take about 15 minutes. Taste for seasonings and serve with cheese.

I am very proud of this recipe. I made them last year for hanukah. It was my first time and I was quite nervous. I attempted them and gave some to a neighbor to try.
I liked them so much that I think they will be part of my yearly repertoire. They were crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside. They are best eaten fresh and don’t keep very well. Now I know why so many people don’t like to make them. No one wants to be cooking tons and tons of latkes for the entire family- since they are so delicious and you can easily eat 5 or 6 of them.

I knew latkes are served either with sour cream or apple sauce. I decided to do a savory cilantro cream with lime juice and salt in the sour cream. For the apple chutney, I chopped the apples and cooked them in apple cider. I then added fresh ginger, cayenne pepper and cloves.

The combination was really delicious- do try these. They are not the classic ones people usually look forward to but are truly different and yum!

• 2 large russet potatoes (about 3 cups)
• 1 medium shallot, minced
• 2 green onions, minced
• 2 teaspoons grated ginger
• 1 serrano chile, minced
• 1/3 cup cilantro, chopped
• 1 egg, beaten
• Salt to taste
• 2 teaspoons coriander powder
• 2-3 tablespoons chickpea flour (all-purpose flour will be fine)
• ½ cup extra light olive oil heated to about 200 degrees.

Heat oven to 200 degrees. Place a small lined cookie sheet with aluminum foil.

Line a large mixing bowl with a cheese cloth. Grate the potatoes in the cloth and squeeze all the liquid out and put back into the bowl. Add the shallots, green onions, ginger, chile, cilantro, egg, salt and the coriander powder. Slowly add the flour, mix well until the mixture is thick.
Scoop the mixture with a ¼ cup measure. Place it gently in the hot oil and flatten it with the back of the cup measure. Cook on medium high heat for 4-5 minutes on both sides or till golden brown. Take out on a platter lined with paper towels, drain well and place in the oven to keep hot.
Serve with cilantro cream or apple chutney.

Makes 9-10 medium sized latkes.

Cilantro Cream

• ½ cup low-fat sour cream
• ½ cup fresh cilantro, chopped
• Juice of one lime
• 2 teaspoons salt or to taste

In a blender, add the sour cream, cilantro, lime-juice and salt. Blend till smooth- you may need to add a couple teaspoons of water to start the blending process. Take out in a small bowl and serve with the latkes.

Apple Chutney

• One large honey crisp apple, cut into ½ inch pieces
• ½ cup apple cider
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 2 cloves
• ½ teaspoon fresh ginger, grated
• ¼ teaspoon cayenne powder
• Salt

In a small saucepan, add the apple, cider, vinegar, sugar, cloves, ginger, cayenne pepper and salt. Bring to a boil and lower the heat to a simmer. Cook the apples till they are soft and the liquid is half the amount- about 10 minutes. Smash the apples with the back of a ladle and mix with the thickened liquid. Cook for another 5 minutes and take out in a bowl and serve with the latkes.

Okay, how many of you don’t like brussels sprouts? I know a lot of people who don’t and are not willing to try them. I personally love them and think that if you don’t like them- it means you haven’t eaten the right dish.

This is the dish you need to try if you are not a fan of brussels sprouts.

We cook them for Thanksgiving every year. I like them a lot and always wonder why I don’t make them more often.

This recipe I came up with, is similar to what we have been eating on Thanksgiving for a few years now. We come up with a new menu every year but end up making the same brussels sprouts.

I wasn’t able to find the exact recipe so I came up with this dish from my memory. It is very simple to make and it can be done in two steps- making it easy for the big meal. I first roasted them- it takes all of 20 minutes to do.

I then made a mixture of garlic, pancetta, walnuts and cream. I cooked the sauce for a few minutes and then added the roasted brussels sprouts. At the very end, right before serving- I sprinkled fresh basil.

This will be the best brussels sprout dish you will ever have- really, I mean it. Please try it, even if they are not your favorite.

• 1 pound brussels sprouts, cut in half if they are large and the first layer taken off
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• Salt
• Pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Will serve 4 people. Recipe can be doubled.

Place the brussel sprouts on a lined cookie sheet. Drizzle the olive oil, salt and pepper. Mix well with fingers and roast till the sprouts are golden brown and soft- about 20 minutes. At this point, they can be taken out and cooled off and refrigerated up to overnight. The next steps can be done the next day right before serving.

• 1/3 cup diced pancetta
• 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• ½ cup chopped walnuts
• ½ cup cream
• 1 cup basil chopped

In a large frying pan, heat the pancetta and add the olive oil. Saute for 2-3 minutes on medium high heat. Add the walnuts and garlic and continue to sauté for another 2-3 minutes. Add the cream and the brussel sprouts and mix well. Saute on medium heat for 2-3 minutes and add the chopped basil- right before serving.

This is one of the sides I came up for Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner. I was in Trader Joes, as usual, and came across already peeled and cut up butternut squash. I am quite lazy and usually never pick up a whole one- so when I saw a package of organic cut up squash- I was thrilled.

I usually always make some kind of mashed potatoes for Thanksgiving. There is also some kind of sweet potato or butternut squash dish. I wanted to combine the potato and butternut squash and come up with one dish.

Usually for a mashed dish, potatoes are boiled and then mashed. I decided to roast pieces of butternut squash, potatoes and garlic with some olive oil, salt and pepper instead.

Once the vegetables were soft, I ran them through a food mill and added grated cheese, half and half and fresh sage. I baked the dish once more with some grated cheese on top. It was simply delicious! Roasting the vegetables instead of boiling them gave the dish a more intense flavor. It was creamy and the sharp cheddar cheese and sage made it taste like a fabulous holiday side.

I was thrilled with this concoction- please try it for Thanksgiving or Christmas.

• 1 pound cut up butternut squash (Trader Joes has it already cut and peeled)
• 3 medium Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut up same size as the squash- about 2 inch pieces
• 4 garlic cloves, whole with skin
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• Salt
• Pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

In a lined cookie sheet, add the squash, potatoes and garlic cloves. Drizzle the olive oil, salt and pepper. Roast in the oven for about 30 minutes or till the pieces are tender. Take out and let cool. Run the roasted mixture through a food mill or a potato ricer.
At this point the mixture can be refrigerated up to 2 days.

• 1 cup extra sharp cheddar cheese, grated and divided
• ½ cup half and half
• Salt
• 2 tablespoons fresh sage

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
4 generous servings. Recipe can be doubles.

In a serving bowl, add the butternut squash and potato mixture. Add ½ cup cheese, half and half, salt and sage. Mix well and check for seasonings. Sprinkle remaining of the half cup cheese on top and bake for 30 minutes.

I love making pestos. I don’t find myself making a whole lot of different kinds of basil pesto for some reason. I do love it but I always find myself making a sauce with another herb or vegetable.

This on is an arugula pesto. Arugula is one of my favorite greens. I love its versatility.. I can use it in a salad, cook with it and now make a pesto with it.

I simply paired it with garlic and pine nuts. I don’t like to use too much olive oil but it is important to use a really good quality one- so a little goes a long way. I used Pecorino instead of Parmesan as Pecorino has a stronger taste which is great for the bitter greens.

That is all I needed to make a delicious sauce. I used it for pasta and in this case- for pizza. Even my daughter ate it- she doesn’t usually like arugula but she really enjoyed the pesto on the pizza.
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