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Food

Recipe: Sliced avocado with poppy seed vinaigrette

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Purim honors the beautiful Queen Esther, who, with the help of her uncle Mordechai, prevented the wicked prime minister Haman from turning the king against the Jewish people. It is the most festive of all Jewish holidays -- marked by carnivals, costumes and, of course, family and friends gathering around a special meal. What follows are nine recipes from the L.A. Times Test Kitchen that would be right at home at the Purim holiday table. This would be a perfect dish for kicking off the meal: a creamy avocado salad with poppy seed dressing. Click here for the recipe.  (Gary Friedman / Los Angeles Times)
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Queen Esther was a vegetarian, preferring to eat only fruit, vegetables, seeds -- particularly poppy and caraway seeds -- and dairy products. This kale and bean soup is accompanied by poppy seed crackers. Click here for the recipe.  (Lori Shepler / Los Angeles Times)
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As you can see from these recipes, vegetarian doesn’t mean boring. Consider this elegant dish, Balinese eggplant skewers with peanut sauce. Click here for the recipe.  (Anacleto Rapping / Los Angeles Times)
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Caraway seeds? In a cake? Yep. Actually, this cake is extremely versatile. It can be served alone or with fresh berries, fruit compote, whipped cream or ice cream. Click here for the recipe.  (Annie Wells / Los Angeles Times)
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A sweet poppy seed filling is slathered between the layers. Click here for the recipe.  (Lori Shepler / Los Angeles Times)
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Traditional hamantaschen, with a poppy seed and fruit filling. Click here for the recipe.  (Gary Friedman / Los Angeles Times)
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A trio of delights. Clockwise, from left: Filo hamantaschen, chocolate hamantaschen with a caramel pecan filling and Purim seed cookies. Here are the recipes:

Filo hamantaschen

Chocolate hamantaschen with caramel pecan filling

Purim seed cookies  (Rick Meyer / Los Angeles Times)
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Sliced avocado with poppy seed vinaigrette

Active Work and Total Preparation Time: 15 minutes

Sliced avocado in a sweet-and-sour vinaigrette tastes delicious as is, served on a bed of lettuce or mixed with other fruit, like sliced bananas, seedless grapes, star fruit or ripe pear.

1/4 cup honey or raw sugar

1/2 cup sunflower or safflower oil

5 1/2 tablespoons white wine vinegar

1 green onion, minced

1/2 teaspoon whole-grain Dijon mustard

Salt

2 teaspoons poppy seeds

4 large avocados, peeled and sliced lengthwise

Whip the honey, oil, vinegar, onion, mustard and salt to taste in a blender until emulsified. Stir in the poppy seeds.

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Arrange the avocado slices on a serving platter and pour the dressing over.

6 servings. Each serving: 292 calories; 60 mg sodium; 0 cholesterol; 26 grams fat; 3 grams saturated fat; 16 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram protein; 2.67 grams fiber.

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