My husband lived in Japan for one year and is obsessed with sushi. When we got married, I  introduced him to Italian raw fish dishes such as crudo, carpaccio and tartara. 
Many cultures like to serve the freshest fish raw, and it's very quick and easy to prepare - but it's vital to use only the best, sushi-grade fish, purchased from a fish monger you trust. As an extra precaution you can also freeze your fish for 1 hour before you use it. Salmon, in particular, is very susceptible to parasites.
This is a simple recipe, but it requires (besides very fresh fish!) very good olive oil and organic lemon and lime. To learn how to shop for fish, see my how-to: http://www.dinnerinvenice.com/how-to.html#7

Ingredients (serves 4-6)

• 1 lb fish fillet, sushi-grade (choose your favorite: branzino, yellowtail, salmon, halibut...)
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/4 cup high quality extra-virgin olive oil (I prefer a mild Italian oil from Liguria)
• 1 lime and 1 lemon
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh mint leaves
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives

Chop the fish very fine. Your fish monger might be willing to do this for you. If not, store the fish in the freezer from 30 minutes before chopping: it will make it easier!
Grate the lemon and lime zest, and squeeze the juice. Set aside. Combine all the ingredients in a bowl, and form individual patties. Cover with plastic and refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving.

Ingredients
serves 4 to 6

• 1/4 cup (scarce) freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 bunches arugula (thicker stems removed)
• 1/2 pound radishes, thinly sliced (use a mandoline if possible)
• 1/2 pound green apple, peeled and sliced thin (or hearts of palm)
• (if liked, 6 ounces goat cheese)

Directions

Wash and dry the arugula, and toss it with the radishes and apple together. 
While it's not very "Italian", I always crave hearts of palm (it all started with my second pregnancy), and like substituting them for the apple in this recipe.

Whisk together vinegar, olive oil, shallot, salt and pepper, and toss the salad with this dressing right before serving. 

** If you are not serving this as a side, but having it as a very light summer meal , you could add some goat cheese and serve with warm multi-grain bread. 

INGREDIENTS (serves 4)

• 1 pound mixed red and green lettuce
  
• 1 small red onion
  
• 1/2 cup strawberries or red grapes (depending on the season)
  
• 1 small carrot 
  
• 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
  
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  
• salt and pepper to taste
  
• fresh daisies to decorate
  
• 1/2 cup crumbled goat cheese or feta cheese (optional - only if making as a meal and not a side)
  
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  
• salt to taste
  

Directions
Peel the onion and slice it very thinly, then soak in a bowl of ice water for at least 20 minutes (soaking the onion in ice water tames the bite and makes it more digestible by washing out the sulfurs).
Wash and dry the two types of lettuce; wash the strawberries and slice them thinly. Peel and shred the carrot. Drain and dry the onion, and combine everything together in a bowl.In a cup, mix together the oil, vinegar, salt and pepper: pour the mix on the salad and toss. Add the cheese if using.
You can decorate it with fresh flowers.

Ingredients (serves 4)

• 1 head of red radicchio
  
• 2 cups mache' salad
  
• 1 cup arugola
  
• 2/3 pound smoked sable or smoked salmon
  
• 1 avocado
  
• 1 pink grapefruit
  
• 2 or 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 
  
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice (plus more for the avocado)
  
• 1 tablespoon freshly chopped chives
  
• salt and pink peppercorns to taste
  

Whisk the oil with the lemon juice (and yogurt, if using); add the chives, salt , grated grapefruit zest, and pink peppercorns and mix well.
Peel the grapefruit eliminating all the membranes, and divide it into slices; wash and drain the 3 different types of salads, and cut them into stripes. Place them with the grapefruit in a large bowl and toss with the dressing. Peel the avocado, cut it into thin slices, drizzle it with lemon juice (to prevent it from oxidizing). Cut the smoked fish into stripes.  Add the avocado and fish to the salad and serve. 

Ingredients (serves 4):

- 4 cups green lettuce (oak leaf lettuce, mache' or any other type of fresh green lettuce)
- 1 small cluster red grapes
- 1 green apple
- 10 ounces firm cheese (if using Italian cheese, a montasio or asiago; if using a local cheese, a medium cheddar would work).
- 1 small container plain yogurt
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgine olive oil
- salt to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon green peppercorns

Directions:

Clean and wash the salad and grapes; wash and core the apple, and cut it into very thin slices.Cut the cheese into small cubes. Peel the garlic, mash it and combine it with the yogurt; add the oil, salt and green peppercorns. Arrange the lettuce in a large bowl or platter with the cheese, apple and grapes on top, and serve with the yogurt sauce. 

Ingredients (serves 4)

- 1 red pepper
- 2 zucchini
- 1 head curly endive
- 1 pound goat cheese  (I used Natural and Kosher goat cheese log)
- pink peppercorns, coarsely ground
- green peppercorns, coarsely ground
- chives, finely minced
- 1 carrot, grated
- 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- salt to taste

With a wet melon ball cutter or with your wet hands, shape the goat cheese into little balls .
Roll 1/4 of them into the freshly grated green peppercorns, 1/4 into the chives, 1/4 into the pink peppercorns and 1/3 into the grated carrot, then place the cheese balls in the refrigerator to harden.
Wash the pepper and zucchini; cut the pepper into thin strips after discarding the seeds and white membranes; cut the zucchini into thin slices lengthwise (with a mandoline if possible). 
Grill the zucchini and peppers on a heavyweight grill pan (I like this ).
Wash the endive and cut it into pieces. Gather  all the ingredients in a large bowl and dress with the olive oil mixed with a little salt and pink pepper. 
Stir gently and serve in individual bowls or cups. 

Ingredients (serves 4)

• - 1 yellow or red pepper
  
• - 1 carrot
  
• - 1 zucchini
  
• - 1 cup cooked fava beans
  
• - pink and green peppercorns, coarsely ground (or you can use black pepper)
  
• - 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  
• - 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
  
• - salt and pepper to taste
  

Directions
Cut the lettuce into thin stripes. Seed the pepper, remove the white membranes and cut it into strips. Slice the carrot and the zucchini length-wise, into very thin slices (you can use a mandoline, or a potato peeler). Gather  all the ingredients in a large bowl , add the fava beans, and dress with the olive oil mixed with the lemon, the salt and the pepper (if using pre-washed packaged salad and it's a little dry, add a tablespoon of water). Toss gently and serve.

Ingredients (serves 4)

• 1/2 pound baby spinach
• 2/3 cup blueberries
• 5 ounces hard cheese (Montasio or Asiago; or a local artisanal kosher cheese)
• 1/3 cup shelled walnuts
• 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 1/2 tablespoons red or white wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon mustard
• 1 teaspoon honey
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Wash and dry the spinach. Place the spinach in a bowl and add the blackberries, the coarsely ground walnuts, and the cheese (sliced thin and then and then cut into small pieces. If using a harder cheese, you can also shave it). 
In a small bowl, make the dressing: combine the honey with the mustard, add the vinegar, oil, salt and pepper and whisk together. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss. 

The verb "sformare" in Italian means "to turn out, to remove from the mold". A Sformato is a kind of savory custard that is thick enough to retain its shape when turned out on a platter, thus making a crust unnecessary. Traditional Sformati are made with béchamel sauce (read: lots of butter!), but you can obtain similar results without wracking your diet if you use ricotta. As filling and creamy as a quiche, at a fraction of the calories, this is basically a savory variant of the Jewish Roman Cassola which I posted in December (I also wrote about it in The Forward) . Ricotta is not technically a cheese, but a by-product of cheese-making: that's why whole milk ricotta is naturally very low-fat, containing only 5% fat (as opposed to 90% in cream cheese!): no need to go with the low-fat or fat-free varieties, which contain additives and taste bad. Pumpkin is also very interesting from a nutritional point of view, because it's filling and sweet but very low in calories and sugar, and fat-free. It also contains high quantities of carotene, calcium and phosphorus. Enjoy!

Ingredients (serves 4-6)

• 1 pound pumpkin or butternut squash, cubed
  
• 1 pound fresh spinach (optional)
  
• 1 pound fresh whole milk ricotta
  
• 1/2 cup freshly grated parmigiano or grana cheese
  
• 4 tablespoons e.v. olive oil
  
• 4 eggs 
  
• 2 cloves garlic
  
• 1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg, if liked
  
• salt and pepper to taste
  
• oven-proof parchment; flour or breadcrumbs to dust the ramekins
  
• optional: 1 cup boiled or steamed rice

Cook the pumpkin until soft (the quickest way is in the  microwave, covered with plastic wrap leaving just a small opening for the steam,, it takes about 10 minutes. Or you can bake it in the oven, covered with foil, it will take almost one hour). If using the spinach, blanch for two minutes in boiling water (or steam it), drain it, squeeze most of the water out, and dry with paper towel.
Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a pan and add the garlic. Once the garlic is brown, discard it and add the pumpkin. Cook for about 10 minutes, seasoning with salt and pepper. Mash the pumpkin with a potato masher, allow it to cool down a little. Place the pumpkin in the bowl of your food processor (or you can also do this by hand, in a  bowl); add the ricotta (well drained of any liquid), the spinach and/or rice if using, the eggs, the parmigiano cheese, the nutmeg, and process briefly.
Line some small ramekins (or a large baking pan) with well-greased parchment paper (grease the paper well ,or they will stick. You can also dust with some breadcrumbs or flour as an extra precaution, but the sformatini will look less pretty).
Bake in a "bain-marie" (in a lower pan filled with hot water) in a preheated 375 F oven. When I feel lazy, I just bake them normally without the bain-marie,and they still come out great. It takes about 20 minutes using small individual ramekins, and 30 minutes in one larger baking pan.
Turn off the oven and allow to set for about 15 minutes with the oven door open. Turn out on a serving platter, remove the parchment, and serve hot or warm.

The word minestrone derives from the Latin verb  ministrare, which means 'to administer'. 
Maybe because, as every Italian mother can tell you, it is the easiest way to administer lots of healthy vegetables to picky children all at the same time, with few complaints! 
In many Italian households, minestrone is made at least weekly and, thanks to the fact that it tastes even better when reheated, it's served several times as an appetizer with both dairy and meat meals. I usually serve it plain on the first day; the second day, I reheat some more adding a little rice or pasta (add when the soup is already boiling, and let it cook for about 2 minutes less than indicated in the package, since it will keep cooking once you turn the stove off; of course if you have leftover cooked pasta you can just add that to the soup); the third day I turn the leftovers into a creamy passato (blended soup) with my hand blender.  
When it's cold outside I like to throw in some beans, making it into a main course.
In Italy, we have countless regional and seasonal variations for this soup, depending on the local produce: the two key rules are that the ingredients should be very fresh, and that it should be cooked very slowly. The vegetables should be chopped very small, into pieces of similar size, maximum 1/2 inch in diameter. I don't add tomato, because it turns acidic quickly, and I want my soup to last a few days (tomato also tends to overpower the flavor of the more delicate vegetables).
And remember: use the best olive oil you can find!

Ingredients (serves 6 as an appetizer)

• vegetable stock, 1 1/2 quarts
• garlic, 2 whole cloves
• 1 large onion
• 2 carrots
• 4 leaves of kale or Swiss Chards, chopped
  
• 1 large slice of butternut squash or pumpkin

• 1/4 of a small cabbage
• 3 stalks of celery
• 2 medium zucchinis
• a large handful of asparagus tips, or green beans (optional)
• a large handful of peas (fresh or frozen)
• 1 potato (optional)
• salt and pepper to taste
• extra-virgin olive oil (preferably a low-acidic, mild oil such as a Ligurian or Tuscan 

Instructions

Peel the carrots and potatoes with a vegetable peeler and wash and clean all the vegetables, discarding any outer leaves and other inedible parts. On a chopping board, cut all the vegetables into regular dice about 1/2" in width (except for the peas, obviously).In a large stainless steel pot with a heavy base, heat 2 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil. Add the minced onion and the whole garlic cloves and cook till the onion is translucent. Discard the garlic and add the vegetables and little salt, and cook for another 5 to 10 minutes on medium/low heat making sure they don't burn or change color.Cover the vegetables with the vegetable stock or water and cook, in a partially covered pot and on low heat, between an hour and hour and a half , until the vegetables are very soft and the liquid has absorbed all their flavor. If you are pressed for time, you can also cook minestrone in a pressure cooker (it should take less than 15 minutes).When it's ready, pour it into individual bowls, drizzle with some more extra-virgin olive oil and sprinkle with a touch of freshly ground black pepper. 

We all overeat every once in a while, and end up feeling bloated or with a stomach ache: what a Jewish Italian mother would prescribe in such cases (backed up by Maimonides' medical treatises) is a nice bowl of fennel soup. Fennel (Anise) is one of those ingredients that until the late 1800s were shunned by non-Jews in Italy and considered lowly and vulgar. By the time this delicious vegetable was accepted into general Italian cuisine,  Jews had already discovered countless ways to prepare it, raw or cooked, as an appetizer or side.
Fennel soup is to indigestion what chicken soup is to a cold, and it's also said to help with bloating, detoxify the liver and even increase lactation. Just as your Bubbe did with the chicken,  we use all parts of the fennel: we eat the bulbs, we make tea with the leaves, and we use the seeds as a spice. Curious fact: fennel seeds have such a powerful digestive effect that in (non-kosher) Italian cooking they are often used to enhance the least digestible of meats (pork)! 
In the Jewish Italian tradition we also add them to many different kinds of dishes,  and of course cookies and biscottis - which acquire that special exotic flavor. I have mixed feelings about making biscottis more digestible, because my husband and kids already polish them off as they are and do not need any encouragement, but you should try at least once! 
Back to the soup: it's light, parve, gluten-free if you skip the toast, and literally takes only minutes to make. Here you go.

Ingredients (serves 4)

• 2 fennel bulbs
  
• 1 or 2 garlic cloves, slightly crushed 
  
• 4 tablespoons freshly chopped Italian parsley
  
• 3 or 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  
• salt and black pepper to taste
  
• (optional) 8 slices toasted baguette or ciabatta bread
  

Directions
Clean the fennel, slicing them thin (I use a mandoline) and place them in a pot.
Cover them with water, drizzle with the oil, add the crushed garlic and half of the parsley. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat , salt, and allow to simmer for about 25 to 30 minutes. Discard the garlic, sprinkle with black pepper, and serve hot with toasted bread.

I just gave a demo on healthful and elegant Italian cuisine at the JCC Manhattan during their Fitness for EveryBODY Fair. One of the ingredients I presented was barley, a grain with many beneficial properties. Unlike wheat, it contains a high amount of soluble fibers (betaglucans), which have a positive effect on cholesterol and provide an immediate sense of satiety, which will be appreciated by those of you who are trying to keep their weight in check. It also contains many vitamins, minerals and antioxidants and has been shown to help liver and kidney function. What's not to like? This way of cooking barley, with the same technique that Italians apply to rice in risottos, is typical of Friuli-Venezia Giulia, in the North-East, and I learned it during my year in Trieste (where I also learn how to make many fabulous desserts, which I'm going to spare you in this diet chapter!).
Ingredients (serves 4)

• 3 or 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 a large onion, finely chopped
• 1½ cups pearl barley
• ½ cup dry white wine (optional)
• 6 cups hot vegetable stock or as needed
• 1 cup total diced vegetables (you can use 3 or 4 of your favorites, such as carrots, peppers, asparagus, zucchini, green peas, corn...)
• about ¼ cup freshly grated Parmigiano or Grana cheese (optional, for a dairy version)
• salt and pepper

Directions
Heat 2 or 3 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil in a heavy-bottomed or non-stick pot over medium heat. Add the onion, and sauté until translucent, adding a tablespoon of water if it starts sticking to the bottom. Add any of the vegetables that require a longer cooking time, such as carrots, peppers or potatoes, and cook stirring for 4 minutes. Add the barley, and cook for 2 minutes on higher heat, stirring . Add the wine, and allow it to evaporate. Season with salt and pepper, and begin adding the hot stock ione or two ladlefuls at a time, stirring frequently, and adding more stock as soon as the liquid is absorbed. After about 10-15 minutes add the diced zucchini and/or asparagus (or any quick-cooking vegetables) and keep cooking, stirring and adding hot stock, until al dente, about 30-35 minutes. It should be creamy and not too thick: add enough liquid. When cooked, remove from the heat, season with more salt and pepper, and drizzle with 1 tablespoon of your best extra-virgin olive oil. If you are eating dairy, add about 1 to 2 tablespoons of freshly grated parmigiano or grand cheese, and serve immediately.
(At the JCC I made this dish with onions and fennel, added at the start, and an exotic touch of saffron)

Have you ever tried KAMUT? It’s a long grain with a brown cover – it looks similar to brown rice, but it’s related to wheat and has a velvety, nutty flavor. It’s richer in protein than wheat, and contains several vitamins and minerals. Perfect for a winter soup! The other main ingredient of this “minestra” is saffron, the star ingredient in Italy’s favorite risotto Milanese, which also characterizes many festive dishes in Sephardic cuisine.

• ½ pound kamut, soaked overnight (or at least for 3 hours) and rinsed
  
• 1 quart vegetable stock
  
• 15 to 25 saffron stigms
  
• 1 small carrot
  
•  1 celery stick
• 1 cup cubed pumpkin or butternut squash

• ½ a medium onion
  
• 1 quart vegetable stock
  
• Extra-virgin olive oil
  
• Salt and pepper
  

Brew the saffron in a few spoonfuls of hot water. Chop the onion, celery and carrot finely (we call this mix “soffritto”). Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil and cook this vegetable mix in the oil for 5 to 10 minutes.
Add the cubed pumpkin, a little salt, and cook for 3 or 4 more minutes, Add the kamut, cover with the vegetable stock, and bring to a boil; Cover and allow to simmer on low heat for 30 minutes. Add the saffron and allow to cook for about 10-15 more minutes, or until the kamut is cooked “al dente”.
Drizzle with a little more olive oil, add a dash of pepper and some minced parsley, and serve.

Meatballs and meatloaves are a staple in Jewish Italian kitchens: I would go as far as to say  that every family has a different version (and every son swears that his mother's is the best!).
For many centuries most Jews in Italy were poor, and had only sporadic access to meat: one of the ways they found to make use of cheaper cuts was grinding the meat and stretching it with different ingredients - bread, eggs, and countless vegetables. The result included not only delicious meatloaves and meatballs, but also a variety of stuffed vegetables and pasta. These dishes are great for Shabbat and the holidays when food needs to be prepared in advance and reheated, because they don't harden and actually taste better the day after.
If you choose one of the versions that incorporate cooked, chopped vegetables (spinach, leeks, zucchini, eggplant... the options are endless!) you might also be able to sneak some greens into the diets of the most irreducible picky eaters.
   
Ingredients (serves 4)

• 1 lb ground turkey (if you are on a low-fat diet, ask for white meat only)
• 1 scallion, very finely minced 
• 1 slice of bread, crust removed 
• 1 egg, beaten
• 3/4 cup of white unseasoned breadcrumbs
• 1/2 cup warm chicken or vegetable stock, or water (you can also use parve, unsweetened soy milk) 
• 1/2 cup plain breadcrumbs or as needed 
• 1/4 teaspoon of nutmeg
• 3/4 teaspoon salt or to taste 
• 1/3 teaspoon black pepper 
• 2 teaspoons freshly chopped parsley 
• 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil 

Instructions (prep time: 20 minutes; total time: 1 hr and 15 minutes)

Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a small skillet and cook the scallion or onion in it until translucent, adding a little salt and water if needed to prevent it from sticking or turning brown. Drain the onion from the oil and let it cool down.
In the meantime, soak the bread slices in warm broth or water till soft, then remove them, squeezing the liquid out, and set aside.
In a bowl, mix the ground turkey with the cooked scallion, the salt and pepper, parsley, bread (drained of the excess liquid), nutmeg, egg;  mix everything together, working well with your hands until all the ingredients have combined. (if you are not on a low-sodium or low-fat diet you can also add two slices of a  natural salami, very finely minced). Let rest for two minutes so that the bread will absorb some liquid making the mixture easier to shape.
Shape into ping-pong size meatballs. If the mixture is so soft that you are having a hard time forming meatballs, you can add a teaspoon of bread crumbs, but don't overdo it - your meatballs should not have the texture of real ping-pong balls ;-)
Roll the meatballs into  a dish filled with the plain breadcrumbs.
Line a baking tray with a sheet of parchment paper. Brush or spray the parchment lightly with a small amount of high-quality extra-virgin olive oil (do not use baking sprays! Just transfer a good olive oil into a spray bottle). Arrange the meatballs on the parchment in one layer and lightly spray or brush the top with a little more olive oil.
Bake until golden (about 30 minutes) in a preheated oven at 425 F. Enjoy!
*** ALTERNATIVES: If you prefer, you can cook the meatballs in a light tomato sauce. Start a tomato sauce by cooking 1/2 an onion in 1 tablespoon of olive oil till translucent; add a can of peeled Italian tomatoes (just break them down with your hands), add salt and pepper and a small pinch of sugar; cook for about 10 minutes then add the meatballs, and cook on medium/low heat for about 20 minutes, stirring slowly and often. You can also use the same mixture to prepare one meatloaf: in this case the baking time will need to be increased by at least one third.
For traditional Veal or beef meatballs, click here

I'm going to let you in on an Italian secret: while gelato is delicious, we don't eat it every night after dinner! Our sweet treat after a meal is usually just fresh fruit, especially if the main courses are rich. 
When we have guests we often serve Macedonia, a simple salad made with a variety of fruit cut into small pieces, so that when you put a spoonful into your mouth you can taste a combination of different flavors.  Macedonia is dressed very simply with fresh sugar and lemon juice.... or Prosecco if no children are present! I know that someone is going to ask me if they can substitute Splenda: of course you can (but do you need to? What's a spoonful of sugar compared to a large slice of cake?).
This is just a sample recipe, but the possibilities are endless - just pick your favorite fruit! Make sure you sprinkle with fresh lemon juice right after slicing, or bananas and pears will oxidize quickly.
I prefer not to use apples, because their texture is much crunchier than most other fruit.

Ingredients (serves 4-6):

• 1 1/2 bananas
  
• 1 yellow peach
  
• 1 pear
  
• 1 or 2 slices pineapple
  
• 1/2 basket raspberries
  
• 1/2 basket strawberries
  
• 1 kiwi
  
• 1 orange (peel and cut each slice)
  
• 1 Tbsp. golden raisins, plumped up in warm water (optional)
  
• 2 Tbsp. lemon juice, or to taste
  
• 2 Tbsp. sugar, or to taste
  

Instructions:

- Cut all the fruit into small pieces (the smaller, the better!) and mix well with the lemon and raisins.
- Add the sugar and mix in.
- Refrigerate before serving.

* Remember that this is just an example, you can use any fruit you like!

Before the advent of industrial baking products, many of the treats that our grandmothers served during the week included fruit. Compotes and baked fruit are a delicious way to indulge our sweet tooth without overdoing the sugar and the calories, and actually adding nutrients to our diet. Baked fruit, in particular, is easy to make and very comforting in the frosty fall and winter days. 

Ingredients (serves 4)

• 4 apples, all more or less the same size
  
• 1 heaped tablespoon brown sugar
  
• 10 ounces (about 1 and 1/4 cup) plain Greek yogurt 
  
• 1/2 cup coarsely ground hazelnuts
  
• 2 tablespoons honey
  
• juice of 1/2 a lemon
  

Instructions

Cut off the tops from the apples and set them aside, sprinkling the inside with lemon juice.
Core the apples from the top down, using an apple corer or melon baller, taking care not to pierce the bottom (leave about 1/2" pulp on the bottom and sides). Place the apples in a baking pan just large enough to hold them. Dice the pulp you extracted from the apples (discarding the hard cores and seeds), and place it in a bowl with little lemon juice, the hazelnuts, the honey and the yogurt, combining well. 
Sprinkle the inside of the cored apples with brown sugar, and stuff them with the yogurt/apple/hazelnut mix. Cover them with the tops that you had set aside, and bake at 375 F for 30 minutes (more if you like very soft apples). Serve warm.
For a more fragrant recipe, you can stick a couple of cloves into the peel of each apple before baking.

Our grandmothers used to serve a lot of simple, not-too-sugary fruit desserts such as baked fruit and compotes. After the spread of commercial bakery products, many of us have forgotten about this option. Cooked fruit desserts can be more appealing than raw fruit on cold winter nights, and they are definitely more diet-friendly than any cake or cookies. 

• 4 ripe pears 
  
• 1 cup lemon sorbet
  
• 1/2 cup strawberries, or other berries
  
• 1/2 cup blueberries
  
• peel of one organic lemon
  
• a teaspoon of unsalted butter, or nut oil for a parve version (almond, coconut)
  

Wash the pears and cut of a small slice from the bottom so they can stand straight.  Without peeling them, place them in a greased pan. Sprinkle them with brown sugar, and a few flakes of butter (or brush with the almond oil).
Bake in a pre-heated 350 F oven for about 30 minutes or until soft, but firm.
Allow them to cool off for a few minutes. When they are still warm, but not hot, slice off the top and core the inside. Fill the cavity with the lemon  sorbet and the berries. Put the tops back on and decorate with lemon zest.