Spicy Sausage & Baked Beans

Serving: 8-10

Ingredients

2 (16 oz) can of pinto beans

1 (12 oz) package of Jack's Gourmet "Mexican Style Chorizo" Sausage

1 yellow onion

1/2 cup of hickory brown sugar barbecue sauce

1/2 cup of onion crunch

1/4 cup of olive oil

Directions

1. Pre heat oven to 375 degrees.

2. Chop onion into 1/2" pieces. 

3. Slice sausage in bite size pieces

4. Place onions and olive oil in a large frying pan. Sauté on a medium-high heat. Once the onions begin to brown, add the sausage, and sauté for 10 minutes on a medium heat. 

5. Pour the beans, and sausage mixture into a baking pan. Add the barbecue sauce. Mix well. Place in the oven for 45 minutes. 

6. Take the baking dish out of the oven, and add onion crunch over the top. Place back in the oven for 10 minutes.  

Mexican Corn Salad

Serving: 6

Ingredients

4 cups of corn

3 tablespoons of mayonnaise 

2 tablespoons of lime juice

1/4 cup of cilantro

1 teaspoon of chili powder

3 tablespoons of olive oil

1/2 cup of chopped red onion

Directions

1. Place corn in a large frying pan. Coat with olive oil and season with chili powder. Sauté on a medium-high heat. 

2. Remove corn from the frying pan, once it begins to brown and place in a large bowl.

3. Add chopped red onion, mayonnaise, lime juice, and cilantro. Mix well. 

~This dish can be served hot or cold~

Slaw Dog

Serving: 7

Ingredients

1 (14 oz) package of Hot Dogs

1 (12 oz) package of Hot Dog Buns

2 cups of finely chopped coleslaw

1/2 cup of diced scallions 

2 tablespoons of Ken's Lite Asian Sesame with Ginger & Soy dressing (or a variation of this)

3 tablespoons of ramen noodles

1 tablespoons of sesame seeds

Directions

1. Option One: Coat a skillet with cooking spray and add the hot dogs. On a medium-high heat, cook your hot dogs and constantly turn them in order that they evenly cook. 

Option Two: Place the hot dogs on a grill perpendicular to the grate and 1 inch apart. Turn the dogs every 1-2 minutes in order that they evenly cook. 

Your hot dogs will be ready once the outside begins to crack. 

2. In a bowl, place the coleslaw, scallions, ramen noodles, sesame seeds and dressing. Lightly toss. 

3. Open your hot dog buns face down either on a grill or skillet and toast for 30 seconds. 

4. When the hot dog and buns are ready add the coleslaw mixture to the top of each hot dog. 

Turkey Bacon Hot Dog

Serving: 4

Ingredients

1 package of Jack's 'Sweet Italian' Beef Sausage

1 (8 oz) package of turkey bacon

1 (12 oz) package of Hot dog buns

1/2 cup of onion crunch

1 avocado

3 tablespoons of olive oil

Barbecue sauce to taste

Directions

1. Coat a large skillet with olive oil. On a medium-high heat, place the turkey bacon in the skillet and fry until cooked through, but not crispy. 

2. Option One: Coat a separate skillet with cooking spray and add the sausage. On a medium-high heat, cook your sausage and constantly turn them in order that they evenly cook. 

Option Two: Place the sausage on the grill perpendicular to the grate and 1 inch apart. Turn the sausage every 1-2 minutes in order that they evenly cook. 

They will be ready once the outside begins to crack. 

3. Once your sausage is cooked through, wrap the turkey bacon around and place back in the skillet until the bacon begins to crisp. 

4. Open your hot dog buns face down, either on a grill or skillet. Toast for 30 seconds. 

5. Once your bacon wrapped sausage and bun are ready, add a slice of avocado and onion crunch. Drizzle some barbecue sauce to taste on top. 

California Hot Dog

Serving: 7

Ingredients

1 (14 oz) package of Hot Dogs

1 (12 oz) package of Hot Dog Buns

1/2 cup of Alfalfa Sprouts

1 package of Sabra's Guacamole 

1/2 cup of diced Cherry Tomatoes

Sriracha to taste

Mayonnaise to taste 

Directions

1. Option One: Coat a separate skillet with cooking spray and add the hot dogs. On a medium-high heat, cook your hot dogs and constantly turn them in order that they evenly cook. 

Option Two: Place the hot dogs on the grill perpendicular to the grate and 1 inch apart. Turn the hot dogs every 1-2 minutes in order that they cook evenly. 

Your hot dogs will be ready once the outside begins to crack. 

3. Open your hot dog buns face down, either on a grill or skillet and toast for 30 seconds. 

4. Add a scoop of guacamole, diced tomatoes and alfalfa sprouts to each hot dog. 

5. Lightly squeeze a thin layer of mayonnaise over your hot dogs. 

6. For extra flavor add sriracha to taste. 

Sautéed Mushrooms and Onions Hot Dog

Serving: 7

Ingredients

1 (14 oz) package of Hot Dogs

1 (8 oz) package of sliced 'Baby Bella' mushrooms

1 small brown onion

1/4 teaspoon of crushed garlic 

3 tablespoons of olive oil

1 (12 oz) package of Frankfurter rolls

Mustard to taste

Directions
1. Dice the brown onion.
2. Lightly coat the skillet with olive oil. Place the diced onions in a skillet and sauté on a medium heat until they begin to brown.
3. Add sliced mushrooms and crushed garlic to the skillet. Sauté until the mixture is golden brown.
4. Option 1: Coat a separate skillet with cooking spray and add the hot dogs. On a medium-high heat, cook the hot dogs and constantly turn them in order that they evenly cook.
Option 2: Place the hot dogs on the grill perpendicular to the grate and 1 inch apart. Turn them every 1-2 minutes in order that they cook evenly.
(Your hot dogs will be ready once the outside begins to crack)
5. Open your hot dog buns face down either on a grill or skillet and toast for 30 seconds.
6. Place your hotdogs in the bun and add the mushroom and onion mixture.
7. For extra flavoring add mustard to taste. 

Four Ultimate Hot Dog Recipes

In honor of the 4th of July, Seven Bites will be posting 4 unique hot dog recipes to try out at your barbecue. Happy Holidays!!
1. Sautéed Mushroom and Onions Hot Dog

Skinny Goat Cheese Pesto Wraps

Serving: 6

Ingredients

1/3 cup of goat cheese ( I used Tnuva Goat Cheese)

1/4 cup of Pesto Sauce

1 Avocado

1/3 cup of chopped onion

Salt to taste

Pepper to taste

6 whole wheat tortilla wraps

Directions

1. In a small bowl mash the avocado. Add salt and pepper to taste.

2. In a separate bowl, mix the goat cheese and pesto sauce until it becomes a creamy texture. 

3. Spray a large frying pan with cooking spray. Place a tortilla wrap in the pan. Spread the goat cheese-pesto mixture, and then the mashed avocado evenly. Fold the tortilla in half. 

4. On a medium-low heat melt the tortilla until both sides become golden brown. 

Sweet Ricotta Bruschetta

Serves: 12 slices

Ingredients

1 baguette bread

1/3 cup of olive oil

1 pint of mini heirloom tomatoes

1 1/2  cups of ricotta cheese

2 tablespoons of diced basil leaves

2 tablespoons of honey

Directions

1. Slice your baguette bread into 1/2 inch pieces.

2. Coat a large frying pan with 3 tablespoons of olive oil

3. Place your baguette bread in the frying pan on a medium heat. 

4. Once the bottom of your bread begins to turn golden brown flip over. Keep an eye on the bread, as it will start to burn quickly.

5. Remove the bread from the frying pan and place on a plate. Evenly spread the ricotta cheese on each piece of bread. 

6. Thinly slice the tomatoes, and place flat down on top of the ricotta cheese.

7. Sprinkle some basil leaves on top of the tomatoes, and drizzle with honey.

~You can also find this recipe on the site Joy of Kosher~

Vanilla French Toast Bites

Serving: 2

Ingredients:

1. 3 slices of Challah

2. 2 eggs
3. 1/2 cup milk (I used 1%)
4. 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
5. 1 teaspoon nutmeg
6. 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
7. 1 tablespoon butter

Directions:

1.  Combine the eggs, milk, vanilla, nutmeg, and cinnamon in a large bowl. Whisk together.

2. Cut the bread into bite sized cubes. 

3. On a low heat, melt the butter in a frying pan.

4. Take a handful of the cubes and dip them into the egg batter. Once the bread is covered in the mixture, place the cubes in the frying pan.
5. Fry all sides until golden brown. Repeat this process with the remaining bread. 

Stone's Chocolate Covered Matzah

Attention all chocolate covered matzoh lovers...there's no need to look any further for an awesome Passover snack. Allyson Stone is open for business and is taking customized orders for the holiday. If you want white, milk, or dark chocolate...Stone's Chocolate Covered Matzoh is for you. She can also do a mix if it's too difficult to choose one type. 

Packaged in adorable mason jars, this is the perfect gift for family, friends, or just a treat for yourself!

Allyson is an entrepreneur and baker all wrapped in one. She's been making her famous chocolate covered matzoh for family and friends for 12+ years, and realized that the public has been missing out!

How to order?  Email Allyson (she's very friendly!): Allysonstone28@gmail.com

Prices:

Pint: $12.00 (plus shipping)

Quart: $20.00 (plus shipping)

Oh yeah, did I mention that she ships nationwide? This NYC baker can ship to your California home. That's right, convenient and delicious. 

~Suggestion from the baker: To help maintain that crunch, store it in the fridge~ 

For all Kashrut questions, please email Allyson.

Wine for the Holidays

Passover is in 9 days, and meal preparation is coming into full swing. When planning out your dishes, a vital element to take into account is WINE. Pairing the wrong wine with a dish, can ultimately change the taste of your food. I had the opportunity of attending City Winery's Grand Wine Tasting in New York last week, and tasted many amazing wines, cheeses, dips, and sausage.

I've listed my top 10 favorite wines from the event, and paired them with Seven Bites recipes.

1. Herzog Late Harvest Orange Muscat

Grown in California, this wine carries a bold orange peel, grape and apricot flavoring. If you like any beverage with citrus, then this smooth and full-bodied textured wine should be the next bottle you open.

This wine can be paired with dessert or sharp cheeses.
Example: Strawberry 'Cheesecake' Parfait 

2. Moses Celebration Cava Brut

This Spanish wine speaks for itself. My first sip felt like a celebration. The grapes are fermented and aged for months, which gives this wine its crisp bubbly texture.

This wine can go well with any part of your Seder!

3. Moses Date Vodka 

Okay fine, you caught me. I didn't just try wines at the wine tasting. Wine tends to put me to sleep, and if it does the same thing to you as it does to me, then I suggest switching things up with Moses Date Vodka. It's made with natural ingredients, and infused with sweet red dates.

4. Carmel Moscato di Carmel

In photo number 4, the woman is holding a delicious semi-sweet wine with a hint of peach and citrus flavors. This is best served chilled and with dessert.

Example: Inside Out Chocolate Covered Strawberries

5. Recanati Shiraz 

Recanti Shiraz encompasses layers of raspberry and plum flavoring intertwined with traces of spice, nutmeg, and mocha.

This wine can be paired with roasts, grilled meats, and tuna steak.

Example: Red Wine Top of Rib

6. 2012 Malbec Reserve

If you're looking for a deep flavored wine, then Malbec Reserve has your name on it. This wine is infused with a smokiness flavoring and a hint of dark chocolate and cherry spice.

This can be paired well with a red meat.

Example: London Broil

7. Agua Dulce Cabernet Sauvignon

This complex, bold wine has a red berry fruit filled flavoring, with many additional citrus layers such as  candied fruit, and black plum.

Agua Dulce can be paired with a steak or hearty stew.

Example: Veal Stew 

8. Hagafen Cabernet Sauvignon

I love this wine for its mixture of flavors. Infused with dark berries, this Cabernet Sauvignon embodies rosemary and herb flavoring, giving this wine its rich, yet soft taste.

This wine can be paired with a bold flavoring dish.

Example: Apricot Glazed Duck Confit

9. Tura Rose Valley 'Semi Sweet Red Wine'

The aroma of this wine is all I can think about.  The deep citrus flavors made me feel as if I could individually taste each piece of fruit my glass.

Tura Rose Valley can be paired with a salty and/or meat dish.

Example: Chuck Steak

10. Gush Etzion Spring River Cabernet Sauvignon-Merlot 

This wine is a full-bodied red wine blend. Basically, everything I can ask for in one glass. This has a subtle spicy cedarwood revealing currant and blackberries.

This wine can be paired with any type of barbecued meat/poultry or sharp cheese.

Example: Sweet n' Smokey Chicken

~Happy Passover~

Lindsay

Red Wine Top of Rib

Using only seven ingredients, our Red Wine Top of the Rib recipe is easy to make and fall-apart delicious! The trick to tenderized meat is to slice it against the grain after the initial cooking process and put it back in the over for a final roast. We highly recommend that you use a red wine that can be enjoyed when your rib is complete; try a full flavored wine such as a Merlot or Shiraz. This will add additional flavor to the dish and will help tenderize your meat.

We used Grow & Behold's, Top of Rib. This cut of meat can be compared to a brisket in terms of its cooking method and texture. The difference is that the top of rib is smaller and more tender. What makes Grow & Behold meats so different is the way they raise their animals. The cattle are raised in an environmentally safe and managed pasture. The majority of the animals' diet is grass-based. These animals are raised by the dozens, not by the thousands. Additionally, all cattle are humanely slaughtered and Glatt Kosher, 

Serving: 6-8

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 2 hours and 20 minutes

[Kosher for Passover]

Ingredients

1 Top of Rib (4.5 lb)

1 tablespoon of Worcestershire Sauce

2 cups of Barbecue Sauce

1 cup of Red Wine

3 tablespoons of garlic powder

3 tablespoons of onion powder

3 tablespoons of paprika

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 250 degrees

2. Lay on a flat surface the top of rib. Generously coat each side with garlic powder, onion powder and paprika.

3. Place the meat in a baking dish. If the meat is too long for the baking pan, you can fold over in order for the top of rib to fit. 

4. Place in the oven for 10 minutes uncovered. 

5. Remove rib from the oven and flip over. Place back in the oven uncovered for an additional 10 minutes. 

6. In a large measuring cup, add 1 cup of red wine and 2 cups of barbecue sauce. Mix well. 

7. Remove rib from the oven. Pour wine mixture over the meat, making sure that it is thoroughly covered in the sauce. 

8. Tightly cover the meat with tin foil, and place back in the oven for 1 hour. 

9. Remove meat from the oven. Flip the rib over and place back in the oven for 30 minutes. 

10. Remove meat from the and slice against the grain. Here's a great article on How to Slice Meat Against the Grain.

11. Place meat back in the over covered for an additional 30 minutes. [Slicing the meat will allow each piece to get absorbed in the sauce]. 

Apricot Glazed Duck Confit

We used Grow & Behold's Duck Legs  for this recipe. The classic way for duck legs to be prepared is "confit", which is a French culinary method of cooking the duck in its own fat. This slow-cook technique allows the duck to become very tender and rich tasting.  All of Grow & Behold's products are Glatt Kosher and pasture raised. As soon as the birds are large enough to be moved outside, they spend their entire lives on grass. They live in spacious, movable pens  that are moved each day allowing them to access a growing salad bar of natural food. The birds are also fed a special blend of non-GMO food. 

Serving: 4

Total Time: 26 hours and 25 minutes

Prep: 30 minutes

Inactive: 24 hours

Cook: 1 hour and 55 minutes

[Kosher for Passover]

Ingredients

4 duck legs (including thigh joints)

1 cup of duck fat 

(It is unnecessary to buy extra duck fat. Please see directions for duck fat removal process) 

1 cup of Apricot Jam

1/2 cup of red wine vinegar

Salt and Pepper to taste
1/2 cup of  rosemary

Directions

1. Meat Curing: Place salt and pepper in a large bowl. Rub seasoning over the duck, making sure to run underneath the skin. Tightly cover the bowl for 24 hours.

1. Preheat oven to 250 degrees.

2. Place the duck on a cutting board. First remove fat from the duck and set aside. Second, trim away any fat extending up the bone. 

3. Place duck in a cast iron pan. Set aside. (If you do not have a cast iron pan, a baking pan will suffice). 

4. Rendering the duck fat:  Cut duck fat into very small pieces. Evenly spread the duck fat in a frying pan. Cook on a low flame allowing the fat to melt. Take a spoon and remove the duck fat from the frying pan. Continue this process until you have 1 cups worth. This process should take approximately 20 minutes.  

5. Pour the duck fat over the duck. Cook on a medium low heat for 10 minutes. Flip duck over, and cook in the pan for an additional 10 minutes. 

6. In a large measuring cup, mix red wine vinegar and apricot jam together. Pour this mixture over the duck fat. 

7. Tightly cover the pan and place in the oven for 45 minutes. 

8. Remove from the oven and flip the duck over. You can take spoon fulls of the apricot mixture and pour top of the duck. 

9. Pour rosemary over chicken. Tightly cover the pan and place back in the oven for an additional 30 minutes. 

Garlic Lemon Chicken

We were very excited to work with Joy of Kosher and use Grow & Behold's, Sara's Spring Chicken to make this recipe as their products are known to be of the highest quality. In addition to being Glatt Kosher, Grow & Behold's birds are pasture raised. As soon as the birds are large enough to be moved outside, they spend their entire lives on grass. They live in spacious, movable pens that are moved each day allowing them to access a growing salad bar of natural food. The birds are also fed a special blend of non-GMO food, which enhances its flavors, giving it a fresh and pure taste. When making this recipe, we highly recommend you to order your chicken from Grow & Behold. 

You can also find this recipe on Joy of Kosher's website.

Serving: 5

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 2 hours and 30 minutes

[Kosher for Passover]

Ingredients:

1 Whole Chicken (2.5-3.5 lb)

10 Lemons

2 cans of Chicken Broth (10.5 oz, each)

1/2 cup of Thyme

1 tablespoon of Crushed Garlic

1/4 cup of olive oil

Pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

2. Place your chicken on a baking rack inside the roasting pan. 

3. Pat the chicken dry.  Using a pastry brush, generously brush the inside and outside of the chicken with olive oil. 

4. Lightly sprinkle pepper inside and outside of the chicken. 

5. Thinly slice 1 lemon and place about 4-5 of those slices inside the cavity of the chicken. [The cavity is the hollow space of the chicken]. 

6. Add 1/4 tablespoon of thyme inside the cavity.

7. Coat the bottom of your roasting pan with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and line with an additional thinly sliced lemon. 

8. Using your pastry brush, lightly coat the chicken with crushed garlic. 

9. In a large measuring cup squeeze 1 cup of lemon juice. Add 1 can of chicken broth. Mix well. 

10. Pour mixture of chicken. 

11. Place in the oven for 15 minutes.

12. Lower oven temperature to 250 degrees and cook for 1 hour. 

13. Remove the chicken from the over. Take the second can of chicken broth and pour over the chicken.

14. Thinly slice an additional lemon and place on top and around the chicken. Add 1/4 cup of thyme and add on top and around the chicken as well.  (you can leave the thyme on the stem if you would like).  

15. Place back in the oven for 45 minutes. 

16. Remove the chicken from the oven and tightly cover in order that the chicken doesn't dry out. Place back in the oven for an additional 30 minutes. 

Mediterranean Tuna Salad

Serving: 3

Ingredients:

1 can of White Albacore Tuna with oil. (10 oz)

1/4 cup of chopped Spring Onions

1/4 cup of chopped Red Onion

1/4 cup of chopped Red Bell Pepper

1/4 cup of sliced Green olives

2 1/2 tablespoons of Lemon Juice

3 teaspoons of Paprika 

Directions:

1. In a bowl, add the tuna (do not remove the oil), spring onion, red onion, red bell pepper, and green olives. Mix well.

2. Once combined, add the lemon juice and paprika. Mix well. 

3. Serve cold and enjoy! 

Mishloach Manot Giveaway

Chocolate Works and Seven Bites have teamed up this Purim and are giving away a FREE Mishloach Manot!

How to Enter?

1. "Like" Chocolate Works on Facebook
2. "Like" Seven Bites on Facebook
3. Let us know that you've entered by commenting on this post on our Facebook Page. Click here

4. All entries must be in by 2/26/2015 at 5:00 pm. 

The winner will be chosen at random and announced Thursday evening.

~Good Luck~

Chocolate Mousse Trifle

Serving: 4 glass mini trifle bowls

Ingredients: 

10.7 oz package of red velvet Oreo's

3 bananas

8 oz. of cream cheese

11.5 oz. of dark chocolate chips

8 oz. of cool whip

7 oz. of whip cream

Raspberries to top it off! 

Directions:

1. Crush up the oreos until they are a crumb-like texture. Divide and press evenly into each trifle bowl

2. Thinly slice each banana. Evenly lay out the banana slices on top of the oreo layer 

3. Melt the chocolate chips in the microwave for about 30-45 seconds

4. Place the cream cheese in a separate bowl. Add the melted chocolate to the cream cheese and mix together using an electric mixer

5. Fold in the cool whip to the cream cheese and place mixture on top of the banana layer

6. Add a nice even layer of whip cream to the top, and a few raspberries to finish off your dessert! 

Hot Chocolate Fudge

~Share a hot fudge sundae with your sweetheart~

Serving: 10

Ingredients:

1 stick of butter (8 tablespoons)

12 oz. of semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 teaspoon of vanilla

1/4 cup of sugar

1/2 teaspoon of salt

12 oz. of evaporated milk

10 oz. of dark chocolate chips

Directions:

1. In a medium saucepan, melt the butter and semi-sweet chocolate chips on low heat

2. While stirring, add in the vanilla, sugar, and salt to the chocolate

3. Over medium-high heat, add in the evaporated milk

4. Once it comes to a slight boil, turn the burner on a low heat and add in the dark chocolate chips

5. Continue to stir until melted

6. Serve warm and store in fridge for later use

Sesame Spinach Salad

Serving: 3

Ingredients

10 oz package of spinach

1 cup of cooked quinoa

1/2 cup of sliced almonds

1 avocado

1 red pepper

2 tablespoons of sesame seeds

1/4 cup of Newman's Sesame Ginger Low Fat dressing

Directions

1. Place spinach on a cutting board. Finely chop spinach leaves, and then place in a large bowl.

2. Dice red pepper. Add to the bowl of spinach. 

3. Add quinoa, sliced almonds, and sesame seeds into the bowl.

4. Before serving, slice avocado and add into the bowl. 

5. Slowly pour the dressing in the bowl and mix until the salad is tossed well. 

Everything Pigs In Blankets

The perfect Super Bowl snack...

Making pigs in blankets from a box is the easiest way to go, but if you want to make yours different, spice it up with some seasoning. You can't go wrong with an everything bagel, so why not put it on a pigs in a blanket?? 

Yield: Makes 40

Ingredients:

1.   40 pre-made pigs in blankets

(I bought this package: Cohen's Mini Beef Franks in Puff Pastry)

2.   1 egg
3. Everything Bagel Seasoning to taste (I used the Trader Joe's brand Everything but the Bagel)
- - - -
OR you can make your own seasoning (which still will make it 7 ingredients!)

3.    1 tablespoon poppy seeds

4.    2 tablespoons sesame seeds

5.    2 tablespoons dried minced garlic

6.    2 tablespoons dried minced onion

7.   Kosher salt to taste

Directions:

1. Pre heat oven to 400 degrees.

2. Take a baking sheet and cover with tin foil. Spray a light layer of cooking spray.

3. Place hotdogs on baking sheet. Make sure that they do not touch.

4. Whisk the egg and lightly coat the top of each hotdog blanket. 

5. In a small bowl, mix poppy seeds, sesame seeds, dried onion, dried garlic, and salt. 

6. Sprinkle seasonings on top of hotdog blankets. 

7. Lower oven temperature to 375 degrees and place in the oven. Bake for 20 minutes. 

Garlic Scallion Mashed Potatoes

Serving: 8-10

Ingredients

5 red potatoes

1/2 teaspoons of crushed garlic

2 tablespoons of margarine

1/3 cup of chicken broth

1 cup of diced scallions

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. Boil potatoes for 30 minutes

2. Drain potatoes and keep in pot.  Add chicken broth and crushed garlic.

3. On a low heat, mash using a potato masher or the back of a fork until smooth. 

4. Add salt and pepper to taste.  Once mixed well, remove from the pot and place in a bowl.

5.  Add scallions.  Mix well.