Kosher Party Food for Oscar Night

And the winner is …

In honor of Hollywood’s biggest night, the Jewish Journal reached out to some of our regular contributors — and a few new ones — to get their recipes for the best kosher party treats for the Oscars.

Baker and comedian Norma Zager (one of the Grannies on “Baking It!”) likes her lox and bagel bites because they’re easy and delicious.

“They look pretty and festive to serve, and that’s a plus,” Zager told the Journal. “The mix can be made ahead and refrigerated so it makes life a little easier. Everyone loves bagels and lox, and this saves a few calories, so everyone appreciates that.”

Lox and Bagel Bites

2 cucumbers
1 tub of parve cream cheese, whipped or regular
1 tablespoon finely chopped sweet onion
4 ounces approximately of nova lox, cut up
Bagel chips
1 hard boiled egg (optional)
Fresh dill
Caviar (optional)

Cut cucumbers in 1” thick circles. Hollow out the seeds, pat dry and set aside.

Mix together lox, onions and cream cheese, and a light amount of salt and pepper. Remember, lox can be salty, so go slow with the seasoning.

With a teaspoon or a pastry bag, fill cucumber rounds with cream cheese mixture.

Garnish with pieces of bagel chips and a sprig of fresh dill. If desired, grate some hard boiled egg on top. Add a ¼ teaspoon of caviar for an extra zing.

These lemon garlic zucchinis make a delicious and savory snack that perfectly balance out other decadent and sweet Oscar-worthy party treats at your viewing party table. This recipe, contributed by Frances Nicole Shcharber, comes from “Jewish Family Recipes,” a cookbook produced by Jewish Family Service LA’s Young Leaders.

Lemon Garlic Zucchinis

Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 30 minutes

4 medium-large Italian zucchinis (cut however you’d like; long pieces look best!)
¼ cup olive oil or vegetable oil
3 tbsp unsalted butter
4 tbsp lemon zest
Juice of 1 whole lemon
6-7 garlic cloves, minced (if using garlic powder 2-3 tablespoons)
½ cup shaved parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper to taste

In a large sauté pan, heat oil and butter over medium-low heat, add 1 teaspoon of minced garlic.
Sauté until garlic becomes fragrant. Add the zucchinis, and turn up heat 1 notch.
Let zucchinis cook a little to brown on each side, about 5 to 6 minutes. Give them a good shake and let the other side brown.
Add remaining garlic and stir until the garlic smell becomes stronger, 4 to 5 minutes. Continue giving the pan a nice shake every minute or so to prevent the garlic from burning.
When zucchinis are nice and browned, take off heat.
Add lemon zest and lemon juice and mix well.
Transfer onto serving dish, garnish with shaved parmesan while hot.

Chef Rossi calls creating mini-food “the secret of my success.” The author of “The Raging Skillet: The True Life Story of Chef Rossi” is the owner and chef of The Raging Skillet, a cutting-edge catering company.

“Sometimes there’s nothing tastier in the universe than a baby open-faced pastrami Reuben,” Rossi says.

Mini Open-Faced Pastrami Reuben Hors D’oeuvres

Use Mary’s crackers (gluten free), rye toast or rye bread rounds
Put a dollop of whole grain mustard on bread or cracker
Drape a piece of kosher pastrami over the mustard.
Top with julienned or diced half-sour pickle and sauerkraut

Some of the best desserts pack a wonderful punch in just a few bites. Nina Safar’s Cranberry Apple Puff Pastry Cups is one such treat. “Tart apples and cranberries combine with a sweet crumble topping for this quick and easy puff pastry dessert,” Safar, a kosher chef who runs the Kosher in the Kitch website, Instagram and YouTube channel, told the Journal. “Top with the cinnamon glaze or add a scoop of ice cream for an even more decadent treat.”

Cranberry Apple Puff Pastry Cups

3 Gala apples, diced
8 oz. cranberries
10 puff pastry squares

Crumb Topping
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup margarine
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup flour

Cinnamon Glaze
3/4 cup powdered sugar
1 tbsp almond milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/8 tsp cinnamon

Preheat oven to 375°F.

Combine apples and cranberries in a bowl. Combine crumb topping ingredients and crumble with hands.

Take each puff pastry square and cut into 4 mini squares. Grease a mini-cupcake pan and put each mini puff pastry square into a cupcake holder, pressing down gently and up the sides.

Fill each puff pastry square with cranberry apple mixture. Top with crumb topping.

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until the pastry is puffed and slightly browned. Serve with Cinnamon Glaze drizzled on top.

G.P. Gottlieb’s gluten-free and vegetarian chocolate muffins come from one of her cozy mysteries. She is the author of the “Whipped & Sipped Mysteries” and host of the “New Books in Literature” podcast.

Best Gluten-Free Chocolate Muffins

1 15.5 ounce can of chickpeas, drained
4 eggs
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
½ tsp chocolate extract (optional, but worthwhile)
3/4 cup sugar
¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp cinnamon (up to 1 tsp if you love cinnamon)
1 tbsp instant decaf coffee or espresso
1 1/3 cups or 9 oz bag of semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 350°F and lightly coat a muffin tray with non-stick cooking spray .

Process beans, eggs and extracts until smooth. Add sugar, baking powder, cinnamon and coffee powder, pulse around 3 or 4 times until blended. Pour in chocolate chips and process for about 30 seconds.

Pour batter into the prepared muffin tins.

Bake for 15-18 minutes or until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean.

Cool in the pan before putting onto a serving plate. Dust with confectioners’ sugar, or whip up a rich chocolate frosting.

This roundup would not be complete without an award-winning recipe: Samantha Ferraro’s cherry pistachio rugelach double award-winners! The recipe was submitted, made and won both the L.A. Times Cookie Contest and, when she lived in Southern California, a local holiday cookie contest in Long Beach.

“This festive twist on traditional rugelach are filled with a thin layer of tart cherry preserves and nutty pistachios with warm cinnamon that are rolled up in a decadent cream cheese dough,” Ferraro, author of “The Weeknight Mediterranean Kitchen” and founder of The Little Ferraro Kitchen, told the Journal. “They melt in your mouth, thanks to the decadent cream cheese dough, and have a light sweet layer of brightness from the fresh orange zest,” she said.

Note the dough recipe adapted from Ina Garten.

Cherry Pistachio Rugelach

Dough
8 oz room temperature cream cheese
1/2 lb room temperature, unsalted butter
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour

Filling
3/4 cup chopped pistachios no large pieces
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 cup cherry preserves quickly pulsed in food processor (no lumps)
1 tsp orange zest

Topping
Egg wash (1 egg and 1 tbsp water)
1/4 cup sugar
2 tbsp cinnamon

Make the Dough:
Cream butter and cream cheese in a stand mixer with a paddle attachment until very creamy. Then add the sugar and vanilla and mix well.

Slowly add the flour until just combined. Dump the dough onto a lightly floured surface and form into a ball and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate the dough for at least 30 minutes.

Make the Filling:
Put the chopped pistachios to a bowl, along with the brown sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg and mix well.

Pulse the cherry preserves in a food processor or blender until smooth and there are no large fruit pieces.

Transfer the preserves to a bowl; add orange zest and stir well.

Roll, Form and Bake the Rugelach:
Preheat the oven to 350°F.. Remove the dough from the fridge and cut into 4 pieces.

Roll each piece to a 10 inch circle on a lightly floured surface. Use a plate or cheesecake pan to guide the circle and cut away any excess dough. Save the dough scraps to roll out for more rugelach.

Spread 3 tablespoons of cherry preserves onto the dough in a thin layer, leaving a small dough border.

Sprinkle 2-3 tablespoons of the chopped pistachio mixture on top of the preserves and use your hands to gently press the nuts into the jam.

Use a pizza cutter or knife and cut the dough into 8 even triangles, like a pizza. Then roll each rugelach from the outside-in, creating a crescent shape.

Place rugelach on a lined baking sheet, pointy side down and brush with egg wash and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar.

Bake rugelach at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 18-20 minutes until golden brown.

After the dough is made, refrigerate it for at least 30 minutes and up to 8 hours. You can also make ahead and freeze.

If the dough is chilled, it may be a bit harder to roll out. Leave at room temperature until it’s easier to roll with a rolling pin.

Don’t overfill with jam or nuts, a little goes a long way and the more filling there is, the harder it will be to roll the rugelach.

As you make the circles and cut off excess dough, save the scraps to roll out another circle.

Enjoy!

With so many fabulous kosher recipes for Oscar night, the winner is you…and your guests!