Here are the Top 10 quick and useful suggestions from Hazon, to make your Purim more healthy and sustainable. To find out more information and suggestions from Hazon for Purim, visit the Hazon Purim Resource Page.
1 – Purim Recipes
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Recipe originally from The Jew and The Carrot
Rice
- 3 cups Basmati rice
- 8 cups water
- 2 tablespoons salt
Orange Layer
- 1 cup finely slivered orange zest
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 2 cups water
- Pinch of saffron threads
- ¾ cup roasted slivered almonds
- 2 tablespoon rose water
- ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
- 4 tablespoon vegetable oil
- pinch of saffron
- 2 tablespoon water
Wash the rice in cold water until the water runs clear. Soak in cold water and let stand for at least 3 hours. Drain and rinse.
In a large heavy saucepan, bring 8 cups of water to a boil with salt. Add the rice and cook until al dente, about 10 minutes. Drain and rinse again under cold running water.
To make the orange layer: Fill a small saucepan with cold water. Add the orange zest, bring to boil, drain, then repeat.
In a medium saucepan, combine the zest, water, sugar and saffron and stir over low heat until the sugar dissolves. Increase the heat to medium high and bring to boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer until syrupy, about 20 minutes. Let cool, then stir in the rosewater and cardamom.
In a large saucepan, heat 2 tablespoons oil over high heat. Stir in the turmeric, then 2 tablespoons water.
Spread one-third of the rice in the saucepan. Scatter half of the orange zest over the top, cover with half of the remaining rice, then the remaining filling, and finally the balance of the rice. Poke 7 deep holes into the rice. Drizzle with remaining 2 tablespoons oil.
Place a paper towel over the top of the saucepan and cover with the lid. Cook over medium heat, about 10 minutes. Reduce the heat to low and simmer until the rice is tender and the bottom is crisp, about 30 minutes.
Carefully remove the orange layer from the top and set aside. Remove the rice layer and place on serving platter. Place orange zest on top of the rice. Break crust from the bottom of the pot and scatter over the top of the orange layer and garnish with the roasted almonds.
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Recipe originally from The Jew and The Carrot
Filling:
- 1 jar Simon Fisher Prune Lekvar
- 1 jar Apricot butter
- 1 cup raisins
- 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
- Zest of one orange and one lemon rind
Dough:
- 2 1/2 cups flour
- 2 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup honey
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 cup oil
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
Combine all filling ingredients and set aside
Cream sugar, honey, oil, eggs and lemon juice
Combine dry ingredients, add to above and blend
Sprinkle extra flour to remove dough from bowl
Roll onto floured board to about 1/4 inch think
Cut with 4” diameter glass
Fill, shape
Bake 350 degrees for about 18-10 minutes.
Read more: http://blogs.forward.com/the-jew-and-the-carrot/136120/mishloach-manot-recipes-from-jcarrot-readers/#ixzz1ySHO4hpg
2 – Edible Groggers
Serve crispy, crunchy, NOISY foods this Purim (try things like: fresh veggies and yogurt-dill dip, blue corn chips and salsa or home made pita chips with your favorite store-bought or home made hummus). As guests snack away, their crunches will let Haman know what a wicked, wicked man he really was.
3 – Can the Canned Fruit!
You may want to buy fruit for your hamentashen filling, but try your best to avoid fruit from a can! Buy your fruit for your hamentashen in glass jars, or use fresh fruit. Cans (and most plastics) are lined with a chemical called Bisphenol-A (BPA) which is an endocrine disruptor, and a chemical that all should try their best to avoid. Learn more about Bisphenol-A from Grassroots Environmental Education.
4 – Sustainable Drinks
Don’t forget to drink sustainably this Purim. Pick an organic wine from our kosher, organic wine list. For some celebratory Whiskey for Purim, check out the Koval Distillery in Chicago for organic spirits. Or mix your drinks using freshly-squeezed juices (orange, grapefruit, carrot/ginger, wheat grass – it’s up to you!), natural sodas, Ginger Brew, or even homemade seltzer. And if you’re going alcohol-free, these delicious mixers taste just as great on their own.
5 – Give Sustainable Mishloach Manot
Including a note with your wishes for a sweet Purim in your mishloach manot basket is always a nice touch. Equal Exchange sells fair trade treats (chocolate, coffee, and more) for your mishloach manot basket through their Interfaith Program. Or, try one of our recommended sustainable, kosher chocolates from the Hazon Food Guide. Tuck in a few beautiful, locally-grown apples, beets, carrots, or other root vegetables in your mishloach manot basket, right next to the hamentashen. Spring is right around the corner, so now is the best time to celebrate the winter harvest, one last time.
6 – Make a “Green” Mask
There are many great ways that you can incorporate “green” learning into your Purim carnival activities. A fun, useful, and easy idea to use whether you are having a carnival or not, is to use recycled materials to make masks for this holiday! If you have enough people, or if it is at a carnival, you could even have a contest of who uses the most creative recycled material for their mask!
7 – Celebrate the Whole Megillah
Hazon’s staffer, David Rendsburg, adds a kick to his Megillah reading, by chanting in the voice of the different characters. If you’re reading Megillah this year, make sure to practice your most evil Haman sneers and huffiest Ahasuerus demands.
8 – Start Your Pesach Parsley
Purim is the perfect time to plant parsley to eat at your seder. The best part is, you can do it even in the tiniest apartment kitchen! Here are all the tips and tricks you need to plant your own parsley.
9 – Pamper Yourself
Treat yourself like royalty this Purim. Go to an eco-spa, or shake away winter blues with a Bikram Yoga class. If you’re feeling crafty, make yourself a natural facial mask at home (Purim is all about masks, after all!). Learn how to make a homemade banana face mask.
10 – Throw a Purim Banquet
Invite your family and friends back to your palace after the Megillah reading for a fabulous Purim feast. King Ahasuerus was probably not into potlucks, but you can be. Ask each friend to bring a dish, decorate your living room with tapestries, pillows, and candles and party like it’s ancient Persia.
For more Purim recipes, activities, ideas, and suggestions, visit the Hazon Purim Resource Page.
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