2 1/2 cups flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
4 eggs
1 cup oil
1 cup sugar
1 cup honey
1 tbsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. ground ginger
A pinch of ground cloves
1 cup boiling coffee or tea

Sift together flour, baking powder, and baking soda in a large bowl.

In a separate bowl, beat eggs, oil, sugar, honey, and spices.

Make a well in the dry ingredients and pour in the egg mixture. Mix just until a smooth batter forms. Add boiling coffee or tea in 2-3 additions and beat quickly to create a thin, smooth batter.

Pour immediately into baking pans lined with parchment paper, filling it 2/3 of the way.

Bake 35-40 min. until a toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs.

Now you can experience the authentic flavours of Israel and the surrounding region with Batya Segal's personal favourite recipes. A long-time lover of fresh, delicious, and easy-to-execute meals, Batya's recipes will bring the aromas of Israel into your kitchen for the whole family to enjoy. Yours free as a thank you for supporting our life changing work in Israel.

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Around Rosh Hashana, many recipes pop up in Israel featuring honey because—according to old Jewish customs—honey signifies the hope that the new year will be sweet.

Spiced Honey Cake | Blog | Vision for Israel

On 25 January, Israel celebrated Tu BiShvat, which is a holiday marking the planting and growth of trees. It is customary to eat dried fruit, fresh fruit, and vegetables during this minor holiday in the land of Israel. But where did the custom of eating dried fruit come from? Back in the day, in the diaspora, Jews couldn't buy fresh fruits during this time, so they celebrated Tu Bishvat by eating dried fruits. So, today it has become a tradition for this holiday to eat dried fruit in the celebration meal of Tu Bishvat.

Now it's time to get cooking! Here's a recipe for you to enjoy in honour of Tu Bishvat!

Ingredients:
6 chicken legs separated into thighs and drumsticks
12 pearl onions
6 medium sweet potatoes, cut lengthwise into quarters
6 dried figs
12 prunes
12 dried apricots

Marinade:
1/2 cup plum sauce
1/2 cup of soy sauce
3 Tbsp. sesame oil
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
2 Tbsp. brown sugar
3 Tbsp. sunflower oil
5 chopped garlic cloves
3 cinnamon sticks
1 Tbsp. coriander seeds
1 tsp. turmeric
1 Tbsp. crushed cumin seeds
2 Tbsp. sesame seeds
2 cups of red wine
Salt
Ground black pepper

For serving:
1 package of couscous
1 bunch of parsley, chopped
2 green onions, chopped
100 gr. roasted walnuts (optional)

Directions:
1. Mix the marinade ingredients in a large bowl. Add chicken, vegetables, and dried fruits. Mix and marinate for about an hour.

2. Heat the oven to 180 C/350 F degrees.

3. Transfer the chicken, fruit, and vegetables to a large baking dish and pour the marinade on top of it.

4. Bake for 45 minutes or until the chicken is brown and shiny. Every 15 minutes, baste the chicken and vegetables with the liquid in the pan to keep the chicken from getting dry.

5. Cook the couscous according to the package instructions. Once cooked, arrange the chicken and vegetables on top of the couscous, pour the remaining sauce over the chicken, garnish with green onions and, if desired, add the walnuts.

Now you can experience the authentic flavors of Israel and the surrounding region with Batya Segal's personal favorite recipes. A long-time lover of fresh, delicious, and easy-to-execute meals, Batya's recipes will bring the aromas of Israel into your kitchen for the whole family to enjoy. Yours free as a thank you for supoorting our life changing work in Israel.

Tu BiShvat is a holiday celebrating the planting of trees in the land of Israel. Dried fruit is a specialty to enjoy during this holiday. Try this tasty recipe!

Tu Bishvat Recipe — Baked Chicken with Dried Fruit | Blog | Vision for Israel

Tu Bishvat Recipe — Baked Chicken with Dried Fruit

Israel has amazing salads because their vegetables are very fresh and delicious. The Israeli salad is one that you will find at almost every restaurant here in Israel. It is simple, yet healthy and tasty. Batya not only has this Israeli salad recipe to share with you but also the perfect salad dressing to enjoy with your favorite salad. This Mediterranean salad dressing recipe is a special one that Batya learned from a friend years ago, and she uses it often. There is also a video for you to see how to make each of these recipes. As you watch this video, we hope to not only share some great recipes with you but also to bring a great big smile to your face. Enjoy these fresh recipes, and don’t forget to have fun!

2 cucumbers, peeled
2 tomatoes
1 large red bell pepper, seeded
1 spring onion, green part only
1/2 yellow onion
Salt to taste
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
3-4 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

Chop the cucumbers, tomatoes, peppers, and yellow onion into small cubes and place in a bowl. Thinly slice the green onion and add to the bowl.

Season the salad with salt, lemon juice, and olive oil. Mix well, taste, and add more seasoning if needed.


3 tsp. mustard
1 1/2 tsp. honey
3 tsp. mayonnaise
1 tsp. tomato paste
1 cup good quality olive oil
1/2 cup lemon juice
3-4 garlic cloves, crushed
1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
Salt to taste

Place all the ingredients in a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth.

If you like your salad dressing thinner, add a little water and blend again.

Pour dressing into a glass jar or pourable container, and refrigerate until ready to use.

Pour it over the Israeli salad or your favorite salad, and enjoy!

Don’t miss out on this fun video featuring Batya and Barry! Watch the step-by-step process of how to make the Israeli Salad and the Mediterranean Salad Dressing. Enjoy and have fun!

Batya's Kitchen - Chopped Salad

Delicious Mediterranean Chopped Salad and Homemade Dressing Recipe with Batya Segal

Watch the step-by-step process of how to make Israeli salad and Mediterranean salad dressing. Enjoy these fresh recipes, and don’t forget to have fun!

Israeli Salad & Mediterranean Salad Dressing Recipes | Blog | Vision for Israel

Israeli Salad & Mediterranean Salad Dressing Recipes

See how glorious a love the Father has given us, that we should be called God’s children—and so we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know Him.

The Jewish month of Av is known as a time of darkness, sorrow, and destruction. However, in the middle of this month on the 15th day of Av (August 2nd this year), the Jewish people celebrate Tu B’Av — a day of love! What a beautiful picture of God’s love meeting us right amid sadness, loss, and heartache. God’s love restores, rebuilds, and strengthens. 

Originating from the 2nd century, Tu B’Av was a day for unmarried women in Israel to dress in white and go out to dance in the vineyards as they waited for the men to choose their wives. And only in 1948, shortly after Israel became a Jewish nation, Tu B’Av became a popular Jewish holiday celebrating love and romance. 

Some special things to do on this Jewish holiday are to go on a date, propose, renew your vows, or celebrate your loved ones with a gift. One fun date idea that you could do with your loved one on this day is to make a romantic dinner! And we have just the recipe for you to use for a nice appetizer to accompany your dish of choice. The Grape Carpaccio is something light and fresh and yet will add a romantic and elegant taste to your date.

Ingredients:  (For 2 servings)
300g large green grapes, washed
8 large asparagus stems
100g quinoa (preferably red, or mixture)
100g Sainte-Maure cheese (or any other goat cheese)
200 ml balsamic vinegar
Oil for frying
Salt and black pepper
Olive oil to drizzle on top

Slice the grapes into thin slices, and arrange them on two plates side by side like a carpaccio.

Cut each asparagus stem about 4 cm from the bottom. Discard the inedible part. Gently peel the asparagus up to the bottom edge of the head.

Boil a pot of water with a little salt, blanch the asparagus for a minute and immediately transfer to ice water to cool.

Cook the quinoa in a pot with 200 ml of water. Once it starts boiling, reduce the heat to low and cook for about 15 minutes until the quinoa is ready. Drain the liquid and place quinoa on a tray lined with parchment paper. Dry it in the oven at 85°C with the door slightly open for about two hours.

Heat a pot with frying oil to high heat (between 200°-210°C). Fry the quinoa for a few seconds until it puffs and the bubbles stop. Remove with a strainer and transfer to a tray lined with paper towels. Sprinkle a little salt on top.

In a small pot, bring the balsamic vinegar to a boil, reduce to half the amount, refrigerate, and store in a container.

To assemble the dish, place 4 pieces of asparagus on top of the grape slices on each plate. Sprinkle shreds of cheese over it and the crispy quinoa. Decorate with drizzles of the reduced balsamic and olive oil.

We hope you and your loved one enjoy this simple, yet elegant dish, as you take time this Tu B’Av to let each other know just how much you love one another! And most importantly, take time to reflect on God’s great love for each of you, especially if you are in the midst of suffering or reflecting on the sorrow that has occurred during this month of Av. 

The Jewish holiday of Tu B’Av is a day of celebrating love. A great way to celebrate is a special date night of cooking a flavor-filled recipe together.

Tu B’Av – Love in the Midst of Sorrow | Blog | Vision for Israel

Tu B’Av – Love in the Midst of Sorrow

Recipes

Spiced Honey Cake

Thursday 17 September 2020

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