Let’s discuss your Purim menu. If you don’t live in Jerusalem and Purim is on Friday, save the chicken and meat recipe for Friday night and Shabbos lunch. Add in a beautiful cheese platter (search in recipes) and your meal will be so easy and elegant! It should be colorful, flavorful, healthy and beyond delicious. It should also not take you forever to make. Here is a menu that is bursting in flavor and comes with its own Multi-tasking guide on how to cook this meal in the most efficient way possible. A few tips for you if you are hosting a Purim Seudah (feast); Have all the shopping done by the Tuesday before Purim. This will avoid any last minute super market rush and make you feel like the organization boss of the world. Serve fresh fruit for dessert because everyone has eaten their weight in junk food already. Make the focaccia dough in advance and make mini ones for Mishloach manot and call it a day!
Can be done two days before and put in fridge:
- Make dough for Focaccia Hamantashen and roast the peppers
- Prepare all ingredients for salmon
- Roast the garlic for the salad and prep salad
- Prep the Kohlrabi slaw with the dressing on the side
- Make the cauliflower rice
- Make the Osso Buco
- Prepare all ingredients for chicken
Can be prepared the day before and placed in fridge:
- Cook the chicken
- Cook the salmon
- Plate the salads (only dress them right before)
- Bake the focaccia
- Reheat on low the meat and rice
Focaccia Hamentashen
I know this looks long, but read it and you will see how simple and EASY it is! Everyone has been making sweet hamentashen for Purim, with different typical and unique fillings. Some people have created savory hamentashen filled with ground meat and other goodness. I decided to create focaccia hamentashen because at every Purim meal, people want to have bread, but having challah just feels strange. Here is a bread for your feast that will wow your guests in flavor and appearance!
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Ingredients:
- 1 red bell pepper thinly sliced
- 1 yellow pepper thinly sliced
- 3 tablespoons dried thyme
- 3 tablespoons silan date honey or honey
- 3 1/2 cups flour whole wheat or regular
- 2 teaspoons rapid rise yeast
- 1 cup warm water
- 2 teaspoons salt pink Himalayan
- 1/4 cup olive oil plus more for greasing
- 1/2 cup brie cheese optional
- 1/2 cup fresh basil stems removed, roughly chopped
Directions:
- In a large bowl add the flour, yeast, salt, water and 3 tablespoons of olive oil. Mix together into a dough, using a bit extra flour if needed. Kneed for 1 minute until it becomes a ball of dough.
- Place a towel on top and put in a warm place for 25 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 425°F. Prepare 2 large baking sheet pans with parchment paper.
- On one baking sheet add the peppers, olive oil, a pinch of salt, thyme and silan and mix well. Place in oven for 20 minutes.
- Roll out dough into a large circle on to the second sheet pan. Add the pepper topping (and brie if using) to the center of the dough. Using your fingertips, wet all around the edge of the dough. Join all corners, creating a triangle. Pinch really tightly to ensure it doesn't open during baking.
- Bake for 12 minutes. Remove, let slightly cool and and fresh basil right before serving. Slice at the table.
Notes & Tips:
If you have an "Italian spice" or the "Everything Bagel spice" or in Israel the spice called "Tuscana", Sprinkle it on top before baking for an extra delicious pop of flavor.
Salmon with rhubarb jam
Rhubarb is a species of plant that has pinkish stalks that are crisp like celery with a strong, tart taste and is often prepared as though it were a fruit. I decided to turn it into jam and thus became the inspiration to this salmon dish! If you cannot find rhubarb feel free to substitute fresh (or canned) pineapple instead
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Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 pounds salmon skin off, cut into even pieces
- 1 teaspoon salt pink Himalayan
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 rhubarb stalks sliced
- 2 purple onions thinly sliced
- 1/2 chili pepper sliced
- 2 teaspoons fresh ginger peeled and zested
- 2 tablespoons worcestershire sauce or soy sauce or juice of 1 lime or lemon
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 cup fresh basil chopped
Directions:
- Sprinkle salt and pepper on the fish.
- Prepare a large nonstick sauté pan on high heat. Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil and get hot. Add rhubarb, onions and chili pepper and cook for 5 minutes, mixing often. Add the ginger, Worcestershire sauce and honey and mix well and move it all to one corner of the pan.
- Add the rest of the olive oil and get hot. Add the fish, face side down and place all the rhubarb jam on top of the pieces.
- Add ¾ cup of water and cover. Let cook for 7 minutes.
- Remove from pan and add fresh basil right before serve.
Roasted garlic salad
This recipe is great if you can buy already peeled garlic, because time is money! Make extra of the garlic and it to EVERYTHING. Trust me this roasted garlic becomes an addiction!
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Ingredients:
- 4 ounces frisee lettuce or any lettuce
- 10 cloves garlic peeled
- 1/8 cup Balsamic vinegar
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1/2 teaspoon salt pink Himalayan
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 orange peeled and sliced, core saved for dressing
- 1 avocado sliced
- 1 purple onion thinly sliced
Directions:
- Prepare oven to 400°F. Prepare a small bowl (that is oven safe) with parchment paper and add the garlic, vinegar, honey salt and olive oil. Place in oven and cook for 45 minutes or until garlic is soft.
- Place lettuce, orange and avocado in a salad bowl. Remove garlic from the oven and squeeze in the juice from the orange core and mix. Let the garlic cool a bit. Pour onto salad and mix well.
Roasted Persimmon mint chicken
If you marinate this chicken the night before it will taste even better! You can make this recipe with any version of chicken. I like to roast it whole or anything on the bone, because it is much juicier and creates a lot of liquid.
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Ingredients:
- 4 chicken legs and thighs with bones and skin
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon paprika
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt pink Himalayan
- 1 1/2 cup white wine
- 1 purple onion thinly sliced
- 2 persimmon sliced
- 1/2 cup fresh mint stems removed and chopped
Directions:
- Preheat your oven to 375°F. Prepare a baking dish with parchment paper. Add the chicken and rub with olive oil. Sprinkle on the spices and rub in well until all pieces are evenly coated. Add the wine and cover.
- Bake for 1 hour and 20 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through.
- Remove from oven and place chicken on plate. Add the persimmon and mint to the liquid of the chicken and mix well. Salt to taste.
Notes & Tips:
If you can't find persimmon fruit, feel free to substitute it with peaches, plums, nectarines, mangoes, papayas, pomegranates, fresh apricots, or even dried dates or dried sliced apricots or craisons!
Smokey osso buco
Osso Buco is a veal shank. It is an incredible cut of meat that has a flavorful marrow bone attached to it. Go to any butcher and ask for Osso buco and they will know what you are talking about. This recipe goes great with a brisket, short ribs or a shoulder roast too!
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Ingredients:
- 2 pounds osso buco meat can cut in half if wish
- 1 teaspoon salt pink Himalayan
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 onion finely chopped
- 1 head garlic top cut off
- 2 mangoes (fresh or frozen) chopped, save half for garnish
- 1 red chili pepper cut in half, seeds removed for less heat
- 1 tablespoon ginger finely chopped
- 1 cup white wine or water
- 3 tablespoons natural smoke flavoring (optional)
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1/2 bunch Fresh thyme or dried
- 2 tablespoons honey
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350℉. Prepare a large saute pan or dutch oven on high heat. Sprinkle meat evenly with salt and pepper.
- Add olive oil and get hot. Add meat and sear for 5 minutes per side.
- Add the rest of the ingredients and mix well. Cover and place in oven for 2 hours, turning meat over once halfway through cooking time. Garnish with fresh mangoes.
Notes & Tips:
Natural smokey flavoring comes in a bottle usually in the vinegar section of the supermarket or in specialty spice shops. I use the brand Colgin but you can use any you find. I promise it makes the biggest and best difference in this dish! If you dont have fresh or frozen mango you can use dried apricots or dried mango.
Roasted cauliflower yellow 'rice'
This is just one of those foolproof recipes that you can whip up whenever you need a filling side dish. It will get devoured in minutes and is amazing with the juice of chicken or meat. If you can get already riced cauliflower it is ideal but if not use a fresh one!
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Ingredients:
- 2 heads cauliflower cut into even pieces
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 teaspoons salt pink Himalayan
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons turmeric powder
Directions:
- Preheat your oven to 375°F. Prepare two sheet pans with parchment paper.
- Spread the cauliflower on the sheet pans and evenly add all the ingredients. Mix well so each piece is evenly seasoned.
- Place in oven for 45 minutes.
- (optional last step:) Place on cutting board and chop until looks like rice. Serve hot, warm or room temperature.
Notes & Tips:
You can add any fresh herbs to it if you wish or keep it simple as is. If you don't feel like chopping it at the end, don’t! I just chop it so it feels like rice but it is equally as delicious left in pieces.
Kohlrabi slaw
You can make this coleslaw in advance or right before. I love my coleslaw crunchy so I add the dressing right before but it can last up to 4 days dressed in the fridge and taste divine.
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Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup rice wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 tablespoon whole grain mustard
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 3/4 teaspoon salt pink Himalayan
- 4 red bell peppers thinly sliced
- 2 kohlrabi cut into thin strips
- 2 purple beets cut into thin strips
- 2 purple onions cut into thin strips
- 1 box sprouts
- 1/2 cup fresh mint chopped
- 1/2 cup fresh basil chopped
Directions:
- In a large bowl, whisk together the vinegar, honey, mustard, oil and salt. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix well. Serve cold.
Notes & Tips:
Feel free to add Bulgarian cheese to it for some color and flavor!
Have a question about these recipes? Need a substitution for an ingredient? Chef Zissie is here to answer!
Simply use the comments box at the bottom of this page or click the button below.
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January 1 Saturday Day 1 |
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| Purim Feast |
 Focaccia Hamentashen (4) Salmon with rhubarb jam (4) Roasted garlic salad (4) Roasted Persimmon mint chicken (4) Smokey osso buco (4) Roasted cauliflower yellow 'rice' (4) Kohlrabi slaw (4) |
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Hi Zissie, this looks really exciting! For the Hamentashen, is the semolina flour essential? What is it called in Israel? Or can I replace it with regular white flour? Thanks!
You can for sure substitute it with regular flour but it does add a really nice flavor to it. In Israel it is called Semolina too!