Top 10 Kosher Recipes of the Year

It's that time of the year when we go through the analytics data and present you the Kosher Cowboy's Top 10 Kosher Recipes of the Year.

Our success this year is your success. We could not have continued to extend our reach without you. Despite the challenges and uncertainties of the year, Kosher Cowboy recipes continue to reach to new corners of the world and connect people to food.

I'd like to share a message I received this year, which really drove home and reinforced the reason why Kosher Cowboy exists.

A Touching Story

A few weeks ago, I shared my Sfenj (Moroccan Hanukkah donut) recipe. Days later, I received an especially touching message from a follower living in France. She explained to me that her parents were originally from Morocco. She left Morocco to attend university in France, married and then began her career there.

Unfortunately, her mom passed away this year and she was devastated. She continued that she most missed her mom's voice and her mom's cooking. She especially longed for the sfenj donuts her mom would make on Hanukkah. Her mom never wrote down recipes, so she never had the opportunity to make them in France. She said that she was so excited and overwhelmed with emotion when she found my recipe a day before Hanukkah. That evening she recreated the donuts her mom had made for years for her own family. She said they were identical to her mom's and brought her tears of joy. "I was dreading the holiday without my mother. Instead, your recipe helped me reconnect to my mom and turned my fears into tears of joy. Thank you for the memories."

Your stories are amazing and touching and make all our behind-the-scene efforts worth it.

Now, let's get down to business.

2021 by the Numbers

Users 63,465
Sessions 78,260
Pageviews 109,858

Mobile: 45,274
Desktop: 15,756
Tablet: 2,182

Thank you again for the tremendous growth this year. Please continue to share the love.

Without further ado, let's get to what you're really here for: The Top 10 Kosher Recipes of the Year.

Top 10 Kosher Recipes of the Year

#10 Sfenj Hanukkah Donuts

Sfenj - Moroccan Hanukkah Donut (Amar family recipe)

Our original Amar family recipe is below: Before partaking of the fried pastry, it is traditional to bless the host saying "Lah iktehah hada" ("May the tradition not be severed"). Amen. Sfenj or sfinge (from the Arabic word "Safanja" which means sponge) is a Maghrebi doughnut, cooked in oil. Sfenj is eaten plain or sprinkled with sugar or soaked in honey. It is a well known dish in the Maghreb and is traditionally only made and sold early in the morning for breakfast or in the late afternoon accompanied by tea or coffee. It is also called Khfaf in Algeria and other parts of the Maghreb. - Wikipedia

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#9 Moroccan Meatballs with Sweet Peas

Moroccan Meatballs with Sweet Peas

This Moroccan staple dish is served for lunch on the second day of the Jewish New Year (Rosh Hashanah) and for Sukkot. 

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#8 Spicy Moroccan Fish Cakes

Spicy Moroccan Fish Cakes in Savory Sauce

The tender, juicy fish patties are cooked in a savory spicy sauce. Olive oil, garlic, paprika and a combination of peppers give this dish its huge flavor kick. A big thank you to my good friend and chef extraordinaire, Limor Bendayan, for sharing her recipe.

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#7 Sweet Fried Pastry in Honey

Moroccan Sweet Fried Pastry (aka: Fijuelas, Fazuelos, Deblas, Fejouela, Hojuelas)

Served during Purim, Yom Kippur, weddings and other occasions and holidays, this Moroccan pastry is a favorite. "Fejouela" also called "Pajouela" may likely be a mispronunciation of the word Fadoello. The participation of the little girls of the family was always welcome at the confection of this delicate and time-consuming pastry. Our task was to roll the dough until it was almost paper-thin then spread it on sheets to dry. Afterwards using serrated bronze rollers we cut ribbons of dough that we carefully handed over to the "person-in-charge" of the frying pan. We watched in awe as her hand cleverly scrolled the strips of dough into roses that we eagerly dipped into the syrup, then gently piled on a serving tray into a pyramid.  - Deanna Amar Pool

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#6 Moroccan Fish with Chickpeas in Tomato Sauce

Moroccan Fish with Chickpeas in Tomato Sauce

This recipe is a definite crowd-pleaser. It's also very forgiving as the fish simmers in a rich tomato sauce that keeps it moist, yet permeates it with rich flavors.

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#5 Passover Banana Muffins

Passover Banana Muffins

A great alternative to using flour to make these delicious kosher for Passover Banana Muffins.

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#4 Honey and Almond Cigars

Moroccan Honey and Almond Cigars - Perla's Recipe

This is my grandmother Perla's recipe for deliciously and sweet almond and walnut stuffed Moroccan cigars.

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#3 Amaretto Liquor Cake

Amaretto Liqueur Cake

The Harvey Wallbanger Cake grabs it’s rich flavor from the vodka, Frangelican liqueur, and orange juice that you find in the classic Harvey Wallbanger cocktail. Traditionally known as an Amaretto Liqueur Cake, this moist dessert is a treat after any dinner.

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#2 Peruvian Canary Beans

Peruvian Canary Beans (Frejoles)

The beans are cooked with onions, garlic, cumin and aji panka paste. (Aji panka paste can be made with boiled aji chilies and oil blended into a paste). As a result, these will be some of the tastiest beans you’ve ever had. Though typically served with Seco De Carne, they are good enough to eat by themselves.

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#1 Israeli Pickled Vegetables

Israeli Pickled Vegetables

Israeli Pickled Vegetables (Hamutzim - the Hebrew plural for "sour") are a staple at lunch, dinner or for a snack. In South Florida, where I reside, almost every Israeli or Shawarma restaurant provides pickled vegetables or has a pickled vegetable bar.

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Wishing you and your loved ones a Happy 2022.