For Passover, the holiday of springtime, it is customary to showcase vegetables, especially green ones, on the menu. This year we’re preparing an aromatic broccoli and cauliflower tajine and a variety of salads, including a colorful green salad with papaya and pecans.

Wheat flour is strictly forbidden during this eight-day holiday, which begins Saturday, April 12. In many households, like those of our families when we were growing up, noodles, rice and other grains are also not allowed. Today, however, there are kosher for Passover alternatives to grains.

Instead of rice, we use quinoa, a grain-like seed that’s permitted during the holiday, or hearts of palm rice, which is derived from a vegetable. Shirataki noodles, made from the flour of konjac, a root vegetable, offer a satisfying alternative to traditional wheat noodles and are very low in carbohydrates and calories.

Some of our favorite Passover desserts are no-cook sweets like our date and chocolate balls. For a light finale to the Passover Seder dinner, we enjoy a refreshing treat such as a hibiscus and chia seed pudding with sour cherry preserves.

Green salad with papaya and pecans is shown with grapefruit segments. (Photo by Yakir Levy)

Green Salad with Papaya and Pecans

Make this lively salad with sweet cocktail grapefruit when it’s available. The Italian-style dressing is based on a recipe in “Olive Oil for Dummies” by Amy Riolo and Simon Poole.

Yield: 2 or 3 servings

INGREDIENTS

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 1/2 tablespoons white wine vinegar

Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

4 to 5 cups romaine, torn in bite size pieces

1 1/2 cups papaya cubes

1/2 cup jicama sticks

3 mini cucumbers, diced

Pinch of pico de gallo seasoning (chile salt)

1 cocktail grapefruit or other small grapefruit, divided in segments

1/2 cup pecans, lightly toasted if desired

DIRECTIONS

1. For dressing: Whisk olive oil, vinegar, salt and pepper in a small bowl.

2. For salad: Combine romaine with half the dressing. Taste and adjust seasoning.

3. Top romaine with papaya, jicama and cucumber pieces and with rest of dressing. Sprinkle papaya and vegetables with pico de gallo seasoning. Add grapefruit segments and pecans and serve.

Beet apple walnut salad is served with tahini yogurt dressing. (Photo by Yakir Levy)

Beet, Apple and Walnut Salad with Creamy Tahini Dressing

I dress this salad, which is based on a recipe in “Melissa’s Everyday Cooking with Organic Produce” by Cathy Thomas, with lemony tahini and Greek yogurt instead of blue cheese dressing. For the best flavor, make the salad with freshly toasted walnuts.

Yield: 2 or 3 servings

INGREDIENTS

2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon lemon juice (divided)

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (divided)

1/4 cup Greek yogurt

1 tablespoon tahini (see Note)

1 small shallot, minced

Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

1/2 crisp unpeeled red-skinned apple, cut in thin wedges

4 cups coarsely chopped romaine

4 cooked baby beets, cut in bite-size cubes

1/2 cup coarsely chopped toasted walnuts (see Tip)

1 tablespoon chopped Italian parsley

DIRECTIONS

1. Dressing: Reserve 1 tablespoon lemon juice and 1 tablespoon olive oil for flavoring lettuce.

2. Combine remaining lemon juice, remaining olive oil, yogurt, tahini, and shallot in a small bowl. Whisk until well blended. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

3. Set aside 7 or 8 apple wedges for garnish. Dice remaining apple.

4. In a medium bowl toss romaine with reserved lemon juice and olive oil. Season with salt and pepper.

5. In another bowl combine beets, diced apple, half of walnuts and half of parsley. Stir in tahini dressing. Taste and adjust seasoning. Spoon mixture on top of romaine. Garnish edges of mixture with apple slices. Top beet mixture with remaining walnuts and parsley.

Tip: Toast walnuts on a baking sheet at 300 degrees for 5 minutes or until very lightly browned. Remove to a plate.

Note: If your family avoids sesame on Passover, omit the tahini.

Exotic mushrooms bourguignon with garlic whipped potatoes features shiitake, chanterelles, oyster and lion’s mane mushrooms (Photo by Yakir Levy)

Exotic Mushrooms Bourguignon with Garlic Whipped Potatoes

Use any selection of mushrooms you like in this dish. It is based on a recipe in “The Vegan Blueprints” by Chef Eileen Elizabeth.

Yield: 2 to 4 servings

12 ounces exotic mushrooms such as shiitake, chanterelles, lion’s mane or oyster mushrooms, cut in bite-size pieces

3 to 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil or avocado oil (divided)

Sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

4 medium-size yellow potatoes, such as Yukon Gold

3 medium or large carrots, peeled and diced

1 onion, diced

5 garlic cloves, minced (divided)

8 ounces thin-skinned small tomatoes, chopped

2 cups vegetable broth

2 tablespoons dry red wine (optional)

1/4 cup water

1 tablespoon potato starch

1 teaspoon dried thyme, or to taste

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano, or to taste

3 to 4 tablespoons plant-based milk (optional)

Chopped chives or Italian parsley (optional garnish)

DIRECTIONS

1. Heat oven to 375 degrees. Toss mushrooms with 1 tablespoon oil and salt and pepper to taste. Roast on a baking sheet for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until browned.

2. Meanwhile, cover potatoes with water in a medium-large saucepan. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer for 25 minutes or until very tender. Remove from water, rinse briefly and let cool enough to handle.

3. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Add carrots, onion and 4 minced garlic cloves. Saute for 7 minutes or until onion pieces are translucent. Stir in tomatoes. Cook for 10 minutes until sauce thickens. Stir in broth and wine and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer 10 minutes.

4. Stir water into potato starch in a small bowl. Whisk to blend well. Slowly whisk this slurry into the sauce. Add thyme and oregano.

5. Add roasted mushrooms to sauce. Cover and simmer 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, over low heat until mushrooms are very tender and sauce is well flavored. Adjust seasoning.

6. Peel potatoes. Mash with a potato masher, adding remaining minced garlic clove, 1 to 2 tablespoons oil, and milk to adjust consistency. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

7. Serve mushrooms in their sauce on or alongside mashed potatoes. Sprinkle mushrooms with chives.

Cauliflower Broccoli Tajine with hearts of palm rice boasts bold flavors popular in Morocco, such as ginger, garlic, saffron and cumin. (Photo by Yakir Levy)

Cauliflower-Broccoli Tajine with Hearts of Palm Rice

Bold flavors popular in Morocco — ginger, garlic, saffron, cumin and other spices, as well as lemon pieces — simmer with the broccoli, cauliflower and sweet potato. The recipe is adapted from “The Heart Healthy Plant-Based Cookbook” by Dr. Jenneffer Pulapaka and Chef Hari Pulapaka.

Yield: 4 servings

INGREDIENTS

3 cups cauliflower florets

3 cups broccoli florets

1 medium onion, sliced

1 sweet potato (about 1/2 pound), peeled and cut in large dice

2 lemons, quartered, seeds removed

1 tablespoon minced ginger root

4 garlic cloves, peeled, sliced into slivers

1 tablespoon ground cumin, or to taste

1 teaspoon ground coriander

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

2 bay leaves

Pinch of saffron threads, soaked in 2 tablespoons warm water for 20 minutes

2 cups vegetable stock, more if needed

9-ounce package hearts of palm rice

1/2 cup chopped parsley, cilantro or a mixture of both

DIRECTIONS

1. Heat oven to 400 degrees. Roast cauliflower and broccoli florets on a baking sheet in the oven for 10 minutes. Transfer to a plate.

2. Add onion and sweet potato to baking sheet. Roast for 10 minutes until they soften slightly. Transfer them to a stew pan.

3. Add lemon quarters to stew pan along with ginger, garlic, cumin, coriander and cinnamon. Stir over low heat for 1 minute.

4. Add roasted cauliflower and broccoli to pan. Add bay leaves, saffron and its liquid, and enough vegetable stock to barely cover sweet potato cubes. Bring to a simmer. Cover and cook over low heat 15 to 18 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Taste and adjust seasoning. Let stand for 15 minutes. Remove bay leaves.

5. To serve, prepare hearts of palm rice. Serve vegetables over it. Sprinkle with chopped parsley and cilantro.

Shirataki Spaghetti with Shiitake Mushrooms and Asparagus is made with roasted shiitake mushrooms and shirataki noodles. (Photo by Yakir Levy)

Shirataki Spaghetti with Shiitake Mushrooms and Asparagus

Shirataki spaghetti — Japanese noodles made from root of the konnyaku or konjac plant — can be used on Passover because they are made without grains. We flavor the noodles with Asian seasonings — sesame oil, hoisin sauce, soy sauce and white pepper. You can find kosher for Passover soy-style sauce and hoisin sauce at kosher markets.

Yield: 2 servings

INGREDIENTS

1 bunch asparagus (about 3/4 pound)

1/2 pound fresh shiitake mushrooms, quartered, tender stems trimmed and halved lengthwise

3 to 4 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil, or to taste

Salt and freshly ground pepper

2 eight-ounce packages shirataki spaghetti

2 teaspoons Asian sesame oil or avocado oil

2 teaspoons soy sauce, or to taste

1 teaspoon hoisin sauce, or to taste (optional)

White pepper to taste

Green of green onion, chopped (optional garnish)

DIRECTIONS

1. Cut upper two thirds of each asparagus spear in 2 or 3 pieces. (Discard tough bases or use in vegetable stock.)

2. Put asparagus pieces in a roasting pan. Drizzle with 1 or 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil and sprinkle with salt and freshly ground pepper. Roast for 4 to 6 minutes. Stir and roast for 4 to 6 more minutes or until just tender. Remove from roasting pan.

3. Add shiitake mushroom pieces to pan. Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon olive oil, then with salt and pepper. Roast for 5 minutes. Stir, drizzle with another 1 teaspoon olive oil and roast for 5 more minutes or until tender and lightly browned.

4. Prepare shirataki spaghetti according to package directions. Drain well. Add sesame oil, soy sauce, hoisin sauce and white pepper.

5. Transfer spaghetti to a platter. Top with mushrooms and asparagus. Garnish with green onion.

These chocolate date balls contain almonds, pistachios, pine nuts and dried cranberries. (Photo by Yakir Levy)

Chocolate Date Balls

Vary the nuts and dried fruit to your taste when making these fun treats; but bear in mind that, in addition to adding pleasing sweetness, the dates help hold the ingredients together. The recipe is from “The Vegan Blueprints” by Chef Eileen Elizabeth.

Yield: 12 date balls

INGREDIENTS

1/2 cup Medjool dates, pitted

1/2 cup chocolate chips

1/2 cup almonds

1/4 cup pistachios

1/2 cup dried cranberries

1/4 cup pine nuts

1/4 cup almond butter

DIRECTIONS

1. Cut dates in small pieces. Chop in a food processor. Add chocolate chips and process together. Let stand for 3 or 4 minutes so the chocolate softens and begins to blend into the dates.

2. Add almonds and process until chopped fine. Add pistachios, followed by dried cranberries and pine nuts. Chop until all ingredients are in small pieces.

3. Transfer mixture to a bowl. Mix ingredients by hand. Add almond butter and mix well.

4. Roll mixture in golf-ball size or smaller balls, using about 1 tablespoon for each one. Refrigerate them for 30 minutes so chocolate will harden. Serve cold or at room temperature.

Hibiscus chia seed pudding is bright red and spiced with ginger root and tumeric root to make a dessert or breakfast treat that’s easy to be prepare. (Photo by Yakir Levy)

Hibiscus Chia Seed Pudding with Cherry Preserves

This bright-red pudding spiced with ginger root and turmeric root makes a light, healthy dessert or breakfast treat that’s easy to prepare and needs no cooking. Make hibiscus tea from a tea bag or from soaked dried hibiscus flowers.

Yield: 2 servings

INGREDIENTS

3 tablespoons chia seeds

3/4 cup hibiscus herbal tea, cool

1 teaspoon finely grated ginger root

1/2 teaspoon finely grated turmeric root

2 tablespoons Greek yogurt or dried coconut

4 teaspoons sour cherry preserves or jam

DIRECTIONS

1. Spoon chia seeds into a small bowl. Pour tea over them and whisk to blend. Add ginger and turmeric. Refrigerate for 2 hours or until pudding thickens, whisking from time to time.

2. To serve, divide pudding between two small serving bowls. Top each serving with yogurt or coconut, then with sour cherry preserves.

Faye Levy is the author of 1,000 Jewish Recipes.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S Treasury Department on Wednesday issued new sanctions targeting Iran’s nuclear program, just days before senior American and Iranian officials are expected to hold talks in the Middle East sultanate of Oman.

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Five entities and one person based in Iran are cited in the new sanctions for their support of Iran’s nuclear program. The designated groups include the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran and subordinates Iran Centrifuge Technology Company, Thorium Power Company, Pars Reactors Construction and Development Company and Azarab Industries Co.

“The Iranian regime’s reckless pursuit of nuclear weapons remains a grave threat to the United States and a menace to regional stability and global security,” U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in a statement. “Treasury will continue to leverage our tools and authorities to disrupt any attempt by Iran to advance its nuclear program and its broader destabilizing agenda.”

The new sanctions come as President Donald Trump announced earlier this week that he was dispatching senior envoys to hold direct talks with Iran about its nuclear program, while warning the Iranians they would be in “great danger” if the talks don’t succeed in persuading them to abandon their nuclear weapons program.

For its part, Tehran confirmed talks would happen but insisted they would be indirect discussions through a mediator.

The United States is increasingly concerned as Tehran is closer than ever to a workable weapon.

The U.S. and other world powers in 2015 reached a long-term, comprehensive nuclear agreement that limited Tehran’s enrichment of uranium in exchange for the lifting of economic sanctions.

But Trump unilaterally withdraw the U.S. from the nuclear agreement in 2018, calling it the “worst deal ever.”

Iran and the U.S., under President Joe Biden, held indirect negotiations in Vienna in 2021 aimed at restoring the nuclear deal. But those talks, and others between Tehran and European nations, failed to reach any agreement.

By JOSH BOAK, Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — The global economy appeared to be in open rebellion against President Donald Trump’s tariffs as they took effect Wednesday.

Business executives are warning of a potential recession caused by his policies, some of the top U.S. trading partners are retaliating with their own import taxes and the stock market is quivering after days of decline.

Trump’s tariffs kicked in shortly after midnight, including 104% on products from China, 20% on the European Union, 24% on Japan and 25% on South Korea. Administration officials have tried to reassure voters, Republican lawmakers and CEOs that the rates are negotiable, but by their own admission that process could take months.

When a downturn appears on the horizon, investors typically crowd into U.S. Treasury notes as a safe haven, viewing the federal government as a source of stability. Not this time. Government bond prices are down, pushing up the interest rate on the 10-year U.S. Treasury note to 4.39% in a sign that the world is increasingly leery of Trump’s moves.

John Bowers works on the floor at the New York Stock Exchange in New York, Wednesday, April 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

The Republican president was publicly defiant as the stock market recovered slightly and then sold off in morning trading.

“THIS IS A GREAT TIME TO BUY!!!” he posted on Truth Social, his social media site. “BE COOL! Everything is going to work out well. The USA will be bigger and better than ever before!”

Presidents often receive undue credit or blame for the state of the U.S. economy as their time in the White House is subject to financial and geopolitical forces beyond their direct control. But by unilaterally imposing tariffs, Trump is exerting extraordinary influence over the flow of commerce, creating political risks that could prove difficult to avoid if his plans do not pan out. After early success in exerting control over American institutions, from law firms and universities to federal agencies and cultural organizations, he is now facing off with global markets that will not simply bend to his will.

JPMorgan Chase CEO and Chairman Jamie Dimon said there would “probably” be a recession, although he also deferred to his economists.

“I do think fixing these tariff issues and trade issues would be a good thing to do,” he said in an interview with Fox Business Network’s “Mornings with Maria.”

JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon, left, is interviewed by Maria Bartiromo on the “Mornings with Maria Bartiromo” program, on the Fox Business Network, in New York Wednesday, April 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)

On CNBC, Delta Air Lines CEO Ed Bastian said the administration was being less strategic than it was during Trump’s first term.

“Trying to do it all at the same time has created chaos in terms of being able to make plans,” he said, noting that demand for air travel has weakened.

Economic forecasters say Trump’s return to the White House has had a series of negative and cascading impacts that could put the country into a downturn.

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“Simultaneous shocks to consumer sentiment, corporate confidence, trade, financial markets as well as to prices, new orders and the labor market will tip the economy into recession in the current quarter,” said Joe Brusuelas, chief economist at the consultancy RSM.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has previously said it could take months to strike deals with countries on tariff rates, and the administration has not been clear on whether the baseline 10% tariffs imposed on most countries will stay in place. But in an appearance on “Mornings with Maria,” Bessent said the economy would “be back to firing on all cylinders” at a point in the “not too distant future.”

He said there has been an “overwhelming” response by “the countries who want to come and sit at the table rather than escalate.” Bessent mentioned Japan, South Korea, and India. “I will note that they are all around China. We have Vietnam coming today,” he said.

Even as the administration has tried to calm the world, new risks are forming.

China imposed 84% tariffs on goods from the United States. Canada now has auto tariffs to match the 25% being charged by Washington. The EU approved new taxes on U.S. goods after the 25% steel and aluminum tariffs from Trump.

Trump is already calling for more tariffs, looking at copper, lumber and computer chips. In a Tuesday night speech, he said taxes on imported drugs would happen soon.

By REBECCA BOONE, Associated Press

BOISE, Idaho (AP) — Prosecutors and attorneys for a man charged in the killings of four University of Idaho students in 2022 will argue some of the final ground rules they want for Bryan Kohberger’s trial in a two-day hearing set to begin Wednesday morning.

Kohberger, 30, is accused in the stabbing deaths of Ethan Chapin, Xana Kernodle, Madison Mogen and Kaylee Goncalves at a rental home near campus in Moscow, Idaho. Prosecutors say the four were killed in the early morning hours of Nov. 13, 2022, and their bodies were discovered later that day.

Kohberger, then a criminal justice graduate student at Washington State University, was arrested in Pennsylvania weeks after the killings. Investigators said they matched his DNA to genetic material recovered from a knife sheath found at the crime scene.

When asked to enter a plea to the charges, Kohberger stood silent, prompting the judge to enter a not-guilty plea on his behalf.

Here’s what to know about the case and the motion hearing as his trial is set to begin this summer.

What will happen at the hearing?

Attorneys on both sides of the case have filed hundreds of pages of legal motions, including whether Kohberger should face the death penalty if he is convicted, whether witnesses should be allowed to testify about things like “touch DNA,” and about who should be allowed in the courtroom during the trial.

The hearing will give the attorneys a chance to make their case in person, discussing the legal reasoning behind their requests. It will also give 4th District Judge Steven Hippler a chance to ask the attorneys questions as he weighs their arguments.

What will the judge be deciding?

Many of the motions are focused on what evidence can be presented to jurors during the trial.

For instance, defense attorneys have asked the judge to find that an autism spectrum disorder diagnosis would make Kohberger ineligible for the death penalty. The defense and prosecution will also likely present arguments over whether jurors should hear audio of a 911 call made by two women in the house roughly eight hours after the killings, as they realized one of their roommates wasn’t waking up.

Legal filings also show that prosecutors want to introduce evidence of Kohberger’s “click history” at Amazon.com showing that he purchased a Ka-Bar brand fixed-blade knife eight months before the killings. A Ka-Bar knife sheath was found next to one of the victims.

Kohberger’s attorneys have asked the judge to exclude that online shopping history, saying it could be taken out of context or not reflect the influence of algorithms that recommend purchases.

Prosecutors also want to introduce a photo that Kohberger took of himself hours after the time of the killings because they say it shows what he looked like at that time. A roommate who was in the rental home told police she woke up and saw a stranger with “bushy eyebrows” wearing a face mask inside the home.

Defense attorneys want the judge to bar any testimony about “bushy eyebrows,” because they say it could prejudice the jury against him.

Other topics that could come up include what kinds of questions will be asked during the jury selection process. Attorneys on both sides have submitted proposed questionnaires that could be used to narrow the jury pool down to a small group of candidates, but so far those documents have been sealed from public view.

Will the judge issue rulings during the hearing?

Hippler can “rule from the bench” — simply telling the attorneys what his decision is on each request — but he can also decide to issue a written ruling sometime after the hearing is over. Sometimes written rulings can be particularly helpful in complicated legal cases like this one, because they can help attorneys quickly find and refer to the judge’s decisions months or even years down the road.

When is the trial?

Jury selection in the case is expected to begin July 30, with the trial starting Aug. 11 in the Ada County Courthouse in downtown Boise.

The trial is expected to take nearly three months to complete, lasting into the start of November.