By Ethel Hofman, Special To The Dayton Jewish Observer

If you’re looking for quick Passover recipes grounded in tradition but updated with a twist, try any of my favorites below. They all include fruity highlights and are sure to please friends and family.

Apricot Cherry Charoset
1 cup dried apricots, cut up
1/4 cup dried cherries
3 large dried peaches (about 4 oz.) cut in 1/2-inch chunks
1/4 cup walnuts
1 Tbsp. packed fresh mint leaves
3-4 Tbsp. sweet wine
2 Tbsp. honey or to taste

Place dried fruits in a bowl. Cover with boiling water and let stand 20-30 minutes. Drain well. Place in a food processor. Pulse to chop coarsely.  Add the nuts, mint leaves, three tablespoons wine and two tablespoons honey. Process to mix well and chop finely. Transfer to a bowl. Add more honey if desired. Serve at room temperature.  May be made up to two days ahead.

Ekra (Taramasalata)
Salmon caviar makes this beautiful rosy, piquant spread. Delicious on matzah as a snack or as a sandwich for the Passover lunch box.

1 (2 oz.) jar red salmon caviar
1 Idaho potato, peeled, boiled and drained
1/4 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice
1/2 cup olive oil

In the food processor bowl, process caviar with the boiled potato and the lemon juice until smooth, 15 to 20 seconds.
With the processor running, add oil gradually through the feeding tube  in a steady stream.  Process until smooth and blended, about eight seconds. Transfer to a serving dish. Garnish with a thin lemon slice. Serve at room temperature. Serves six.

Gefilte Fish Terrine
1 roll (22 oz.) frozen uncooked gefilte fish
1 Tbsp. cider vinegar
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. white pepper
1/2 cup chopped fresh dill
1/2 cup chopped pimento or red bell pepper
1 Tbsp. vinaigrette dressing
8 soft lettuce leaves (such as Boston lettuce) for garnish

Remove wrapping from  gefilte fish mixture. Place in a bowl, cover and defrost overnight in refrigerator. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Oil a non-stick medium loaf pan (9-x-41/2-inches).  Add vinegar, salt and pepper to defrosted mixture. Mix thoroughly. Divide into three equal portions. Spoon one portion into loaf pan, spreading to cover bottom. Sprinkle dill over to completely cover fish mixture. Press down lightly with spoon.

Spread second portion of gefilte fish over dill. Cover with a layer of  pimento, then with remaining fish mixture. Press gently and smooth over with a spoon. Drizzle with dressing. Cover loosely with foil. Place in preheated oven and bake for 35 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees and continue baking 30 minutes longer. Cool in pan for 15 minutes.

Loosen edges with round-bladed knife. Turn out onto lettuce lined platter. Cut into slices about a half-inch thick. Serve with Dill-flecked Mayonnaise. Serves eight (two slices each).

Dill-flecked Mayonnaise: mix 1/3 cup mayonnaise with 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh dill.

To make your own gefilte fish mix: combine  11/2 pounds chopped fish fillets (a mixture of any white fish ), 1 egg, 1/3 cup matzah meal, 1/4 cup chopped onion, two teaspoons salt and one teaspoon pepper.

Hasty Orange Chicken
1 orange, unpeeled and sliced
salt and pepper
1 rotisserie cooked or roasted chicken, quartered
1/4 cup orange marmalade, melted
1/3 cup raisins
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place the sliced oranges in a baking dish. Sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper. Arrange the chicken, skin side up, on top of oranges. Brush with marmalade, sprinkle with raisins and garlic powder. Cover loosely with foil. Bake for 30 minutes or until heated through.

Springtime Kugel
2 Granny Smith apples, cored and quartered
1 baking potato, peeled and cut in chunks
1 large sweet potato, peeled and cut in chunks
1 cup shredded carrot in a bag
1/2 cup matzah meal
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 cup golden raisins
2 Tbsp. frozen orange juice, thawed
2 Tbsp. lemon juice
1 stick vegetable margarine, melted

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9-inch square baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. Place apples and potatoes in the food processor. Chop coarsely. Transfer to a large bowl. Stir in the carrots, matzah meal, sugar, nutmeg and cinnamon, raisins, orange juice, lemon juice and margarine. Mix well. Spoon into prepared baking dish.

Bake in preheated oven for one hour or until golden and vegetables are tender. Cool slightly before cutting into squares. Serves eight to 10. Note: may be prepared ahead and baked 90 minutes before serving.

Frozen Raspberry Chocolate Pie
1 pint raspberries
3 Tbsp. raspberry or strawberry preserves
2 Tbsp. amaretto liqueur
1 quart raspberry pareve sorbet or raspberry ice,  softened
1-2 cups non-dairy whipped topping
1 (9-inch) ready to serve, Pesach chocolate cookie pie shell
4 oz. almond bark, broken into irregular pieces

In  bowl, mash raspberries with preserves and amaretto liqueur. Stir into sorbet. Fold in the non-dairy topping. Spoon mixture into pie shell. Cover with plastic wrap and freeze until firm, six hours or overnight. Remove from freezer 10 minutes before serving. Just before serving, insert almond bark pieces into frozen raspberry filling to decorate. Serves eight to 10.