Adapted from an Outback Steakhouse recipe

Ingredients

Batter
1/3-cup cornstarch
1 1/2 cups flour
2 teaspoons garlic, minced
2 teaspoons paprika
1-teaspoon salt
1-teaspoon pepper
24 ounces beer
4 Vidalia onions

Seasoned Flour
2 cups flour
4 teaspoons paprika
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1/2-teaspoon pepper
1/4-teaspoon cayenne

Creamy Chili Dipping Sauce
1/2-pint mayonnaise
½ pint parve sour cream like Tofutti Brand
1/4-cup tomato chili sauce
1/2-teaspoon cayenne pepper

Outback Dipping Sauce
1/2-cup mayonnaise
2 teaspoons ketchup
2 teaspoons creamed horseradish
1/4-teaspoon paprika
1/4-teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon dried oregano
1 dash black pepper
1 dash cayenne pepper

Directions

For the Flour
Combine seasoned flour ingredients and whisk together
For the dipping sauce and the creamy chili sauce, combine ingredients for each and refrigerate a few hours or overnight
For the Batter
Mix cornstarch, flour and seasonings until well blended.
Add beer and mix well.

Cut about 3/4 inch off the top of onion and peel.
Cut 12-16 vertical wedges but do not cut through bottom root end.
Remove about 1 inch of petals from center of onion (You can place the cut onions in cold water for a few hours to help "open" them up – drain well when ready to use.)

Gently separate petals and dip onions in seasoned flour. Gently shake to remove excess. Coat well with batter.
Heat oil to 375 in a fryer basket or deep pot and deep fry at 375-400 for 1 1/2 – 2 minutes.Turn over and fry 1 1/2 minutes more or until golden brown.
Drain on paper towels.

Serve hot with either or both dipping sauces.

Notes

Video: Another take on how to make a bloomin' onion

Recipe: Kosher, meat,  appetizer

Adapted from The New Jewish Table by Ellen Kassoff Gray and Todd Gray

Todd: Roasting really rounds out the natural sweetness of eggplant, whose seeds have a caviar-like appearance and texture, in my opinion. This purée with roasted garlic and lemon juice is like baba ghanouj, but without the tahini. It's just so simple and fresh—a perfect spring starter.

Ingredients

3 medium eggplants
2 tablespoons olive oil (use a good quality to mix into the caviar)
3 garlic cloves, roasted or fresh and not peeled
1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
1⁄8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Pita breads
Ground smoked paprika for dusting pitas

Directions

Roast the eggplants. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Pierce each eggplant in several places (use a fork or skewer) and place them on a baking sheet. Drizzle the eggplants with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Roast until the skins are blistered and the flesh is soft—about 60 minutes. (If your garlic is not already roasted, add it to the oven during the last 20 minutes of baking time.) Transfer the baking sheet to a wire rack and let the eggplants cool for 20 minutes. Keep the oven on.

Make the dip. Cut the eggplants in half and scoop out the flesh from the skins. Transfer to the container of a food processor fitted with a blade and process until smooth. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil, the garlic, lemon juice, cumin, salt, and pepper and pulse to combine.

Makes about 4 cups dip

Make pita chips. Cut the pitas into wedges. Arrange on a baking sheet and place in the oven until lightly toasted, golden, and crispy—15 to 20 minutes. Lightly sprinkle the pitas with the smoked paprika.

Notes

Recipe, kosher, parve

A Signature KosherEye recipe

Start any fiesta with this easy guacamole recipe.

Ingredients

4 ripe avocados
2 plum tomatoes, parboiled for 1 minute, then peeled and chopped*
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon hot pepper sauce
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 Tablespoons onion, minced (optional)
1 tablespoon Extra Virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon (or more) Lawhorn's Tex-Mex Blend Signature Seasoning**

Directions

Scoop out the avocado; combine all ingredients in a food processor or mash by hand. If not serving immediately, reserve pits, place on top of mixture, cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate. Remove pits prior to serving.

Notes

 * If no time to peel tomatoes, no worries amigos y amigas, simply chop!
** Lawhorn's seasoning is a combination of salt, chili peppers, garlic onion, cumin, pepper and spices.

Makes about 2 cups.

Recipe, kosher, appetizer, parve

By Rebbetzin Rashi Minkowicz
Educational Director of North Fulton Georgia Chabad Center

This goes very well with challah, fish, schnitzel, kugel, corn chips etc...
This dip is refreshing, healthy and Passover friendly.

Ingredients

5 large tomatoes or two boxes grape tomatoes
3 jalapeno peppers
4 cloves garlic
1 tsp. olive oil
Juice squeezed from one lemon
Salt to taste

Directions

Blend up tomatoes, peppers, and garlic in a food processor
Add oil, lemon, salt and mix well
Pour into serving bowl
Serve at room temperature or slightly chilled

Notes

Recipes: Kosher, Appetizer, Passover

Adapted from Chef Pro.com

Using the Chef Pro Wet & Dry Grinder, it takes no time to whip up this healthy, Middle Eastern dip. Serve it with assorted fresh veggies, pita bread or pita chips.

Ingredients:

16 oz. chickpeas or garbanzo beans, drained – save some of the liquid
1/4 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon cumin
1 peeled garlic clove, smashed with the blade of a knife
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Salt to taste

Directions:

Blend all the ingredients in the Wet & Dry Grinder with 4 bursts of 3 seconds each or until the mixture becomes creamy and smooth. If too thick, thin out with a little of the chickpea liquid. Adjust seasoning to taste.

Serve the mixture immediately with veggies, pita chips or pita bread.

Store the hummus in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 day, not longer.

Recipes: Appetizers, Hummus, Dip, Chickpeas, Parve, Kosher

Notes:

Recipes: Appetizers, Hummus, Dip, Parve, Kosher

Adapted from Chef Pro.com

Using the Chef Pro Wet & Dry Grinder, it takes no time to make this tasty Guacamole dip. The jalapeño pepper adds some heat.

Ingredients:

2 ripe avocados
1 tsp. finely chopped red onion
2 tbs. fresh lime juice, divided
1 medium jalapeño pepper, seeded and chopped
1 garlic clove, pressed
Salt to taste
3 tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro
Ground cumin to taste (optional)

Directions:

Cut avocados in half. Scoop pulp into the Wet & Dry grinder bowl, and grind until slightly chunky. Add chopped red onion, 1 tsp. lime juice, jalapeno pepper, and garlic, and grind for 5-6 seconds. Add 3 tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro and an additional 1 tbsp. lime juice, salt, and cumin and grind for 3 seconds. Cover with plastic wrap, allowing wrap to touch mixture, and let stand at room temperature 30 minutes.

Notes:

Recipes: Appetizers, Dip, Avocado, Parve, Kosher

Adapted from Barefoot Contessa Foolproof, by Ina Garten

My friend Eli Zabar always inspires me. He makes these almonds at his wonderful store, Eli's Manhattan, and they're so delicious that I tried them myself. Marcona almonds from Spain are expensive, but they're really worth it.

Ingredients:

1 pound roasted, salted Marcona almonds
2 teaspoons good olive oil
2 tablespoons minced fresh thyme leaves
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon fleur de sel

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Place the almonds, olive oil, thyme, and kosher salt on a sheet pan and toss them together. Roast the almonds for 10 to 15 minutes, turning them every 5 minutes with a metal spatula, until they're lightly browned. Watch them carefully; they go from under baked to burnt very quickly.

Sprinkle with the fleur de sel, toss, and set aside to cool. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Notes:

Yield: 6 to 8 servings

*KosherEye note: Kirkland Brand OU kosher certified Marcona Almonds are available at Costco.

Recipes: Appetizers, Nuts, Almonds, Parve, Kosher

Ingredients:

16 oz. seitan strips
½ cup red hot sauce
1 teaspoon celery salt (optional)
8 oz. cream cheese, cubed
½ cup blue cheese dressing (recipe to follow)
½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese
¼ cup blue cheese crumbles

Directions

Preheat oven to 300F. Coarsely chop seitan slices, place in a large skillet over medium heat and pour in red hot sauce, sprinkle in celery salt-if using, stir well and simmer gently.

Mix in cream cheese cubes and blue cheese dressing. Stir until blended and heated through.

Pour into pie plate or casserole pan and sprinkle with mozzarella and blue cheese crumbles. Cook in oven for 15-20 minutes, until top cheese layer is melted.

Blue Cheese Dressing

Ingredients:

½ cup sour cream
½ cup buttermilk
3 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 tablespoons minced red onion or shallot
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons garlic powder
Pinch of sugar
Salt and pepper, to taste
½ cup blue cheese crumbles

Directions:

Shake up all the ingredients in a large jar. Makes 1 cup of dressing.

Recipes: vegetarian, kosher, Superbowl, food

Rachel Harkham is the author of "Get Cooking: A Jewish American Family Cookbook" written with Doni Zasloff Thomas. For more fun and tasty recipes check out Rachel's website.

Adapted from Nasoya

Ingredients:

1 pkg Nasoya Won Ton or Round Wraps
1 pkg Nasoya Firm Tofu
10 oz fresh spinach
15 oz ricotta cheese
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper

Directions:

Cook spinach with 2 tbsp of water in the microwave or on the stovetop for 5 minutes or until just wilted. Let cool and drain excess water. Place tofu in food processor and pulse until it is pureed. Add the ricotta cheese, pulse until combined, then add spinach and grated cheese and process until smooth, about 30 seconds. Season with salt and pepper.

Line baking sheet with parchment paper, or spray sheet with non-stick cooking spray. Take a wrap and place approximately 2 tbsp of mixture in the center if each wrap. Do not place filling near the edge. Use a pastry brush dipped in water and brush edges of wrap. Place a second wrap on top, then crimp edges together tightly with your fingers or the tines of a fork. Brush ravioli lightly with olive oil.

Bake in 375° F oven for 10-12 minutes or until lightly browned. Serve ravioli with your favorite marinara sauce for dipping.

Notes:

Yield:: 15

                                    Photo: The At Home Gourmet

Adapted from The At Home Gourmet by Sarah Lasry

These wings will have you craving for more, and more, and more…

Ingredients:

12-16 chicken wings, rinsed and patted dry
1/4 cup orange juice
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup spicy Dijon mustard
1/4 cup hickory BBQ sauce (favorite brand)

For the Mustard Glaze::
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup sweet teriyaki sauce
3 tablespoons spicy Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon ground ginger powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon soy sauce

Extra ginger powder for sprinkling

Parve Ranch Dipping Sauce

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Place the chicken wings in a heavy-duty sealable plastic bag. Mix all the remaining ingredients in a small bowl blending well. Pour mixture into the plastic bag and gently shake, coating all wings as best as you can. Place in refrigerator and let marinate for at least 30 minutes or ideally up to 4 hours or more.

In a separate small bowl, mix together all the glaze ingredients, combining well. Set aside.

Drain and remove wings from marinade and pat dry with paper towel. Place the wings on a large baking tray. Sprinkle ginger powder over top of wings, then using a pastry brush coat each wing thoroughly with the glaze mixture. Place in oven and bake about 20-25 minutes.

Serve with Parve Ranch Dipping Sauce

Remove, pile onto a plate and dig in!

Notes:

Yield:  About 6-7 servings

Recipes:  Appetizers, Chicken, Chicken Wings, Kosher