‘Tis the season for food and family, which is why Celebrity Chef George Duran has teamed up with the popular and innovative brands Mighty Sesame Co.®, Dorot Gardens®, and Absolutely! Gluten Free® to create some incredible dishes for your holiday table. These tasty recipes are simple and full of flavor, using the best better-for-you options you can choose!

First on the menu is a delicious snack to get dinner started on the right foot. Begin with a Roasted Garlic Dip for family and guests to enjoy while the rest of the meal is being prepared.

Dorot Gardens Roasted Garlic Dip
by George Duran

Ingredients:

• 6 frozen cubes of Dorot Gardens Garlic
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 2 frozen cubes of Dorot Gardens Parsley
• 2 frozen cubes of Dorot Gardens Basil
• 8 oz sour cream
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• Absolutely! Gluten Free Crackers

Directions:

1. In a small saucepan, add frozen garlic cubes and olive oil and heat on medium. Cook and stir until garlic starts to brown, about 5-6 minutes.
2. Remove from heat and mix in frozen parsley and basil.
3. In a small bowl, mix sour cream with mayonnaise and add in the garlic mixture.
4. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve with Absolutely! Gluten Free Crackers or Flatbreads.

Serves 4.

Next is a sweet potato side dish that’s sure to be a hit with everyone, combining sweet and savory flavors for an incredible taste experience. Don’t fill up yet, though, because there are two more recipes to go!

Mighty Sesame Mashed Sweet Potatoes with Tahini
by George Duran

Ingredients:

• 3 medium sweet potatoes
• 2 cubes of Dorot Gardens Garlic
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon, plus more for garnish
• 1/4 cup Mighty Sesame Tahini, plus more for serving
• Salt and pepper

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400°F.
2. Wash and clean sweet potatoes and poke them with a fork throughout. Roast for 50-60 minutes until soft and tender, flipping halfway through.
3. Allow sweet potatoes to cool for 15-20 minutes before peeling and placing in a medium bowl.
4. Microwave garlic cubes with olive oil for 1 minute.
5. Combine cooked garlic, sweet potatoes, cinnamon, and Mighty Sesame Tahini. Mix and season with salt and pepper to taste.
6. Drizzle with more tahini and sprinkle with cinnamon before serving.

Makes 4 servings.

Next, it’s time to whip up an easy yet oh-so-delicious side that will suit any spread this fall and holiday season, beautifully accompanying any ham, turkey, or main dish casserole you may be serving. Using a medley of Dorot Gardens frozen herbs, George Duran’s Dorot Gardens Herbed Roasted Brussels Sprouts are an explosion of fresh flavor and amazing textures. Check out the recipe here so you can try it for yourself!

Last, but most certainly not least, is a healthy and delicious appetizer or entrée. “This is easily one of my favorite fall dishes. The tahini sauce adds richness to the butternut squash with a nutty complexity,” says Chef George Duran. “Mighty Sesame allows me to easily squeeze the tahini directly into the sauce, saving me on time and cleanup!” Check out George’s Roasted Butternut Squash with Honey Tahini Sauce here.

“The fall and holiday season is the best time of year to try new, savory, and delicious recipes to include in your spread,” says Laura Morris, Associate Marketing Director of Kayco Beyond. “We’re delighted that Chef George Duran is a big fan of Dorot Gardens, Mighty Sesame and Absolutely! Gluten Free. For dishes that are not only appealing to the family, but healthy too, these brands make that more possible than ever, allowing you to easily incorporate delicious and nutritious ingredients.”

These recipes by George Duran are delicious, innovative, and easy to make, and these brands make it possible:

• Mighty Sesame Co., the maker of all-natural, squeeze-and-serve tahini: the most versatile new kitchen staple made from whole, sustainably sourced sesame seeds. The popular superfood complements just about everything, from sandwiches, to burgers, to dips, and beyond. Try adding it to your cheese and charcuterie boards or use it the same way you use your favorite hot sauce, ketchup, salad dressing, nut butter, or other spread. All flavors of Mighty Sesame Squeezable Tahini are available for an SRP of $6.99 per 10.9 oz. bottle. Visit mightysesameco.com for nutritional information, recipe ideas, distribution locations, and more. Also follow Mighty Sesame Co. on Instagram (@MightySesameCo) and Facebook (@MightySesame).
• Absolutely! Gluten Free, the top innovator in gluten-free snacks, offering high-quality products with a brand commitment to flavorful, gourmet gluten-free snacks with a modern twist. The delicious line includes an assortment of sweet and savory snacks made with clean and wholesome ingredients that are perfect for any occasion. Add them to your lunch for school or work, serve them for family dinners and celebrations, or make a special, gluten-free appetizer. All Absolutely! Gluten Free products are all-natural, certified gluten-free, and OU certified kosher. To learn more about Absolutely! Gluten Free, visit absolutelygf.com or follow the brand on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter (all @AbsolutelyGF).

• Dorot Gardens, creators of innovative flash-frozen packages of fresh, pre-portioned herbs that eliminate the process of peeling, chopping, and measuring. All it takes to season and flavor a dish is a cube of the right spice and a simple pop of the tray, and Dorot Gardens is there to make flavoring quick and easy, so you can focus on enjoying the finished product. The lineup consists of Garlic, Ginger, Basil, Sautéed Onions, Cilantro, Turmeric, Parsley, and Dill, all of which have a two-year shelf life, allowing you to have fresh herbs year-round. Dorot Gardens products can be found in the frozen veggie aisle of grocery stores including Kroger, Walmart, Trader Joe’s, Safeway, Albertsons, and Whole Foods. For recipes, nutritional information and more, visit dorotgardens.com or follow Dorot Gardens on Facebook and Instagram (@DorotGardens on both).

About George Duran

Known for his Food Network show Ham on the Street and TLC’s The Ultimate Cake Off, polylingual chef and comedian George Duran has acted as a host and culinary contributor for Good Morning America. He has also guested on Live with Kelly, NBC’s Today Show, CBS This Morning, The Wendy Williams Show, The Dr. Oz Show, The Tamron Hall Show and many others. He is the author of the popular cookbook, Take This Dish and Twist It, which is packed with useful tips, amusing anecdotes, and most importantly: mouthwatering recipes for deliciously unexpected takes on comfort foods and snacks. You can follow George on Instagram (@ChefGeorgeDuran) and Facebook (@GeorgeDuranEats) and at www.georgeduran.com for fun food photos and culinary inspiration.

About Kayco Beyond

Kayco is one of the largest manufacturers and suppliers of kosher foods. It has expanded Kayco Beyond Division sources and distributes new products to the general market beyond kosher to meet the demands of consumers looking for optional products that are healthful, convenient and/or for restricted diets and lifestyles. These brands include Absolutely! Gluten Free®, Beetology™, Mighty Sesame Co.®, Wonder Melon™, Wonder Lemon™, and Dorot Gardens®, among others. They are headquartered in Bayonne, NJ. (www.KAYCO.com)