Spinach Salad
- 2 large bags fresh spinach, washed and cut in small pieces or tops of 2 big bunches of fresh beets, washed and cut in small pieces
- 2 cloves garlic, diced
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- Salt
- Juice of 1 lemon or to taste
Cook the spinach or beet tops in salted water just until wilted. Beet tops need to soak a long time. Drain and squeeze out as much water as possible. This is important. In a skillet, saute the garlic in the oil until golden. Then add the spinach or beet tops, cumin, paprika and salt to taste. Stir until the greens absorb all the oil, Add more if necessary. Add the lemon juice. Serves 6 to 8.
Bitter Green Salad with Roasted Pears
- 8 firm Bosc pears, peeled, cored and cut lengthwise into 8 wedges
- 1 ½ tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 small head chicory
- 1 small head escarole
- 1 small head radicchio
- 1 bunch watercress, coarse stems discarded
- 1 bunch mizuna greens, coarse stems discarded
- 1 small head romaine
Dressing:
- 1 Tablespoon finely chopped shallot
- 2 ½ tablespoon cider vinegar
- ½ teaspoon honey
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ¼ cup plus 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
Preheat oven to 425. Place the pears in a zip-close plastic bag and add the oil. Toss to coat, then arrange the pears in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Season with salt and pepper. Roast pears, flipping twice, until they are tender and beginning to brown, about 20 to 30 minutes. Cool about 15 minutes.
While the pears roast, tear enough tender chicory and escarole leaves (discard tough ribs) into bite-size pieces to measure 6 cups. Tear enough radicchio, watercress, mizuna and romaine into bite-size pieces to measure 10 cups. In a large bowl, toss the greens. Set aside. To make the dressing, in a small bowl whisk together the shallot, vinegar, honey, salt and pepper. In a slow stream, while whisking, add oil. Continue whisking until emulsified. Just before serving, add the roasted pears to the greens, then drizzle with dressing and toss to coat. Serves 10 to 12.
Seven-Fruit Haroset
- 8 ounces unsweetened coconut
- 8 ounces walnuts, chopped or almonds, grated
- ¼ cup sugar
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon
- 8 ounces raisins
- 8 ounces dried apples
- 8 ounces prunes
- 8 ounces dried apricots
- 8 ounces dried pears
- 4 ounces cherry jam
- Sweet red wine, such as Manischewitz
Combine all fruits and nuts in a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Add the wine and vinegar. Pulse until a pasty consistency is reached. Add the spices and blend well. Adjust the seasonings.
Passover Brisket
From Johnson & Wales University
- 4 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 5 cups diced onions
- 4 minced garlic cloves
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 teaspoons dried thyme
- 2 teaspoons paprika
- Salt to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 2 cups red wine, Burgundy recommended
- 6 pounds beef brisket
- 3 cups beef stock
- 1 cup orange juice
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook until translucent and soft. Add the garlic, bay leaves, thyme, paprika and salt and pepper to taste to the onion mixture. Cook for a few minutes more and then deglaze the pan with red wine. Cook for 5 minutes over high heat and then let simmer while browning the brisket.
Place a large heavy Dutch oven over medium high heat. Add the remaining oil and heat until very hot. Salt and pepper the brisket liberally. Add the brisket to the Dutch oven and brown quickly on each side. Add the onion mixture, the beef stock and the orange juice. Place the lid on the pot but do not tightly seal, leaving it slightly ajar. Place the brisket in the oven and bake for 4 hours or until tender. Serves 10 to 12.
Onion and Mushroom Kugel
- 1 tablespoon olive oil, plus 2 teaspoons for greasing baking dish
- 1 cup diced sweet onion
- 2 cups sliced mushrooms
- 3 cups shredded Yukon gold potatoes or potatoes of choice
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- ¾ cup plain yogurt
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease a nine-inch round glass baking dish. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large frying pan. Add onions and mushrooms and saute for five minutes or until softened. Remove from heat, add potatoes, salt and pepper and stir in yogurt. Pour into prepared baking dish and bake for 60 minutes or until potatoes are browned on top and cooked through. Serves 6.
Nutritional information per 3.5 ounce serving: 130 calories; 35 calories from fat; 130 milligrams sodium; 19 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams dietary fiber; 4 grams protein.
Passover Roast Lamb
From Joan Nathan's Jewish Holiday Cookbook
- 1-7 pound shoulder of lamb
- Salt and pepper
- 1 clove garlic, cut in slivers
- ½ cup shredded celery leaves
- 1/3 cup cubed green pepper
- 2 tablespoons tomato sauce
Heat oven to 325 degrees. Rub the meal with salt and pepper. Place slivers of garlic in between the bone and the flesh. Place the meat on a rack in a roasting pan, surrounded by celery leaves and green pepper. Roast in oven allowing 20 minutes per pound. About 1 hour before done, smooth tomato sauce over top of the lamb. This will make a crusty skin and add to the flavor of the gravy. To make the gravy, first remove the lamb and drain off fat. Add a little water to the juices in the pan, leaving in the celery leaves and green pepper and boil down on the top of the stove. Serve with asparagus, roasted new potatoes and mint jelly. Serves 6 to 8.
Passover Mini Muffins
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, plus 1 tablespoon for greasing pans
- ¾ cup Passover cake meal
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup ground walnuts
- ½ cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon grated lemon peel or more to taste
- ¾ cup vanilla lowfat yogurt
- 4 eggs, separated
- 36 large walnut pieces
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease mini-muffin pans. In a large bowl, add cake meal, salt, ground walnuts, sugar and lemon zest. In another bowl, whisk oil, yogurt and egg yolks together. Add to cake meal mixture and mix well. Beat egg whites in a clean bowl until stiff. Gently fold ¼ of the whites into cake mixture to lighten, then fold rest of whites into mixture until just combined. Spoon one tablespoon of mixture into each mini muffin cup and top with a piece of walnut. Bake for 12 to 14 minutes or until knife inserted in center comes out clean. Let cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan. Yields 36 muffins.
Vegetable Lasagne
From 'Life After Schmaltz'
- 1 tablespoon peanut oil
- 10 ounces frozen chopped spinach, thawed and uncooked
- 1 zucchini, grated
- 1 beaten egg
- ½ cup low-fat cottage cheese
- 6 ounces part-skim mozzarella, grated
- 11 ounces low-salt tomato sauce, with mushrooms
- 1 cup skim milk
- 8 ounces cooked Passover noodles
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease baking pan. In separate bowl, combine spinach, zucchini, egg, cottage cheese and most of the mozzarella. In another pan, alternate layers of tomato sauce, noodles and vegetable mixture. Sprinkle remaining mozzarella over all. Pour remaining milk around the edges of pan. Bake 75 minutes. Let sit 10 minutes before serving. Serves 8.
Turkey Schnitzel, Israeli-Style
From the New Jewish Holiday Cookbook
- 1/3 cup all-purpose matzah cake meal
- 2 large eggs beaten with 1 tablespoon water or ½ cup pareve egg substitute
- 1 ¼ cups matzah meal seasoned to taste with salt, black pepper, chopped parsley leaves and other herbs or spices
- 1 ½ pounds thinly sliced, boneless turkey breast cutlets
- Canola oil for frying
Put the matzah cake meal into a wide shallow bowl or a platter with raised sides. Do the same with the eggs and with the breadcrumbs. Put the three bowls in a row. Place the turkey cutlets between 2 sheets of plastic wrap and gently pound them with a rubber mallet until they are about ¼ inch thick. Lightly coat each cutlet on both sides with matzah cake meal, shaking off any excess. Dip each cutlet into the egg mixture and let the excess drip off. Then immediately coat with the matzah meal. Set cutlets on a large platter or piece of wax paper. They may be refrigerated at this point and fried several hour later.
In a large skillet heat oil that is 1/8 to ¼ inch deep until it is hot but not smoking. Brown the cutlets on both sides. They will take only 2 to 3 minutes on a side. Do not overcook. Drain the cutlets on paper towels. Transfer to a serving platter and garnish with parsley and a lemon wedge. Makes about 6 servings. Note: For a more Middle Eastern taste, season the breadcrumbs with cumin, tumeric and paprika. Sometimes Israelis will season the turkey slices before they are coated with flour or use the egg coating last before cooking.
Passover Stuffed Boneless Chicken Breast with Apricot Jam
From 'Jewish Cookingin America'
Stuffing:
- 1 cup boiling water or ½ cup water and ½ cup chicken broth
- 3 cups matzah farfel
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- ½ green pepper, chopped
- 3 ribs celery, chopped fine
- 1 tablespoon Passover oil
- Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
- 3 large eggs, beaten
- 6 chicken breasts, boned and halved
- Apricot jam
For stuffing, pour boiling water over farfel and wait until all the water is absorbed. Allow to cool. Meanwhile, saute onion, green pepper and celery in oil over medium heat until onion is soft. Mix together salt, pepper and eggs. Set aside while preparing chicken breasts. Hold each breast half in one hand, skin toward palm, and spoon about 3 tablespoons of stuffing on top. Pull skin up around stuffing and use a toothpick to fasten breast closed. Place open side down in a greased ovenproof pan and put 1 teaspoon apricot jam on top of each roll. Bake in a preheated 350-degree oven for 1 hour, uncovered. Yields 8 to 12 servings.
Mile High Chocolate Cake
- 12 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips, divided
- 7 egg yolks
- ½ cup plus 1 tablespoon honey, divided
- 8 ounces slivered almonds, toasted and ground, about 1 cups
- 12 egg whites
- Pinch of salt
- ¼cup butter or margarine
In food processor, chop 1 cups chocolate chips until finely ground. Set aside. In large bowl, beat egg yolks with cup honey until thick and lemon-colored, about 3 minutes. Stir in ground chocolate and almonds; set aside.
In separate large bowl, beat egg whites until foamy; add salt and continue to beat until stiff peaks form. Stir of egg whites into chocolate mixture. Gently fold in remaining whites. Pour batter into 10-inch angel food cake pan with removable tube. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 to 50 minutes, or until toothpick inserted near center comes out clean. Remove cake from oven and hang upside down to cool by inverting pan and placing tube over a bottle.
While cake is cooling, combine remaining 1 tablespoon honey with remaining cup chocolate chips and butter in top of double boiler. Stir over low heat until mixture is melted and smooth. Let cool to thicken slightly. When cake is cool, remove from pan by releasing cake from sides and center tube with sharp knife. Pour or spread glaze over top, allowing excess to drip down sides. Makes 10 servings.
Mocha Macaroons
- ½ cup honey
- ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 tablespoon instant powdered coffee or espresso
- 3 ½ cup shredded, sweetened coconut
- ¾cup matzoh cake meal
- 2 egg whites
- 24 chocolate coffee beans
In small saucepan, combine honey, cocoa powder and coffee powder. Cook and stir over medium heat until powders are dissolved and mixture is smooth. Remove from heat and cool about 10 minutes. Stir in coconut, matzoh cake meal and egg whites until well-blended. Spoon out about 1 tablespoon mixture and roll into a ball. Place on parchment-lined baking sheet.
Repeat with remaining dough, placing balls about 1 inch apart. Press 1 coffee bean into center of each ball. Bake at 325 degrees for 15 to 18 minutes, or until firm. Remove pan from oven and cook on rack for 20 minutes. Remove macaroons from parchment. Store in airtight container.
Strawberry Sponge Cake
- 8 large eggs, separated
- 1 ½ cups sugar
- 1 cup sifted matzah cake meal
- Pinch of salt
- ½ lemon, grated rind and juice
- Matzah flour for dusting
- 3 cups whipping cream
- 4 pints strawberries
Beat egg yolks until light. Add sugar and beat again. Add matzah meal, pinch of salt and grated rind and juice of lemon. Beat whites until stiff but not too dry. Fold into batter. Place in 2 greased 9-inch pans floured with matzah flour. Bake in preheated 350-degree oven for 45 minutes. Set on a rack and cool.
Remove cakes from pans. Whip cream until thick, cut half the strawberries in quarters and fold into half the whipped cream. Spread this filling between the 2 layers of cake. Spread remaining whipped cream over top and side of cake. Decorate with reserved whole strawberries, Serves 8.
Note: Also, the cake can be baked in a jelly-roll pan lined with parchment paper for about 15 minutes in 400-degree oven. When cool, fill it with strawberries and whipped cream and then roll.
This is an American Jewish Passover dessert. The recipe is from "Jewish Cooking in America" by Joan Nathan.
Passover Sponge Cake
- 2 egg yolks
- 7 egg whites
- ¾ cup sugar
- ½ Juice of lemon
- ½ cup potato starch
- ½ cup cake meal
- 2 tablespoons peanut oil
- 1 tablespoon orange juice
- ½ teaspoon almond extract
Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Beat the egg yolks and oil until light. Add the sugar and lemon juice and beat until fluffy. Combine the dry ingredients and stir into the batter. In a separate bowl, beat the whites until stiff. Fold into the egg mixture. Bake in an ungreased 10-inch tube pan for 30 minutes. Increase the temperature to 325 degrees and bake for another 15 minutes. Invert to cool.
This basic cake recipe can be altered in several ways to create different cakes. Rather than a tube pan, use a 9-inch springform pan. For a carrot cake, fold 1 cup grated carrots and cup chopped walnuts into the batter, before adding the egg whites.
For a mocha cake, add 3 tablespoons instant coffee to the dry ingredients.
For a marble cake, use 1 tablespoon chocolate liqueur mixed with 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa in of the batter. Swirl the chocolate batter and the white batter in the cake pan. Remove the cake from the pan with care.
Marzipan, Moroccan Style
From The New Jewish Holiday Cookbook
- 10 ounces whole blanched almonds or slivered blanched almonds
- ¾ cup granulated sugar, plus extra for dipping
- 1 inch square piece of lemon peel, yellow part only
- Scant 2 tablespoons pasteurized pareve egg substitute
- 1 teaspoon almond extract or to taste
- 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
- 3 to 4 ounces each of the following: whole pitted dates, whole pitted prunes, dried whole apricots, walnut halves, pecan halves
In a food processor fitted with a steel blade, grind the almonds with the sugar and lemon peel until the almonds are very fine and powdery. Add the egg substitute, almond extract and lemon juice and process until the ingredients are well combined and form a cohesive mass. Test the marzipan mixture by squeezing a tablespoon of it in the palm of your hand. It should feel slightly tacky, but should press together into a ball. If the mixture is too dry, mix in enough additional egg substitute until the proper consistency. Continue processing the marzipan for about 30 seconds or until it forms a smooth paste. It will not be as smooth as the commercially made marzipan. Knead gently for 3 to 5 minutes. Then make into assorted "petis fours."
For each date, us a small, sharp knife to lengthwise slit it open along one side. Pinch off a piece of marzipan about the size of a cherry and gently press it into the date. Close the date around the marzipan but do not completely enclose it. Decorate the top by pressing it with the tines of a fork along the length of the date. Use the same method for the prunes and apricots.
For walnut or pecan petit four, mold a cherry-sized piece of marzipan into a cube or ball and squeeze it between two nut halves to form a sandwich. Gently dab the marzipan surface of each petit four in a small bowl of granulated sugar to give it a crystalline look. If desired, place the finished petit four in a tiny fluted paper cup or arrange them attractively on a tray. Makes about 40 assorted petits fours.
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