Preheat oven to 375°F.
Combine all of the ingredients
in a roasting pan or disposable
aluminum pan. Toss well and
spread the mixture in the baking
dish. Cover with foil and bake for
1 hour. Remove the foil and cook
for 20 minutes more, until the
potatoes are very tender. Adjust
seasonings to taste. Keep warm
until ready to serve. Transfer to
a serving dish and serve. Makes
8-12 servings.
BASIC CHICKEN STOCK
Add other vegetables and herbs
to the broth, if desired — turnips,
parsley and dill are delicious.
1 5-6-pound roasting chicken
or stewing hen
3 quarts water
2 large onions, quartered
1 large parsnip, peeled and
cut into 1-inch chunks
3 carrots, peeled and cut into
1-inch chunks
3 garlic cloves, peeled and
left whole
4 celery ribs cut into 1-inch
pieces
1 bay leaf
1 Tbsp. salt
10 peppercorns
Place the chicken in a large
stockpot. Cover with water and
bring to an immediate boil.
Remove the chicken from the pot
and discard the water. Return
the chicken to the pot and cover
again with water. Add onions,
parsnip, carrots, celery, garlic,
salt and peppercorns. Cover the
pot and simmer for 2-3 hours or
until the chicken is tender but
not falling apart, adding water
as necessary to keep the chicken
submerged.
Remove the chicken to a bowl
and set aside to cool. Strain the
liquid (using a sieve or a colander
lined with cheesecloth) into a
large bowl. Chill the stock several
hours to overnight. Remove all
the fat that has risen to the sur-
face (reserve the fat for another
use or discard). Makes 3 quarts
of stock or broth.
In the meantime, remove the
cooled chicken meat from the
bones, discarding the skin and
bones. Shred the white meat
well and measure out about 2
cups and set aside. Reserve the
remainder of the chicken for
another recipe (chicken salad
or pot pie are good options). Do
not put the chicken back into the
broth at this point (save it for
your recipe).
MY MOM’S FRUIT
COMPOTE
This is the easiest method of
making compote. The result is a
simple and elegant dessert. Serve
small portions of the fruit with
the cooked syrup spooned over
the top.
4 cups whole dried fruits,
such as prunes, pears, apricots,
raisins, dried cherries, etc. (no
dates or figs)
Water
1 cup sugar
2 cinnamon sticks
Grated peel from 1 orange or
lemon
Place all the fruit in a medium
saucepan over medium-high heat.
Add enough cold water to cover
the fruit. Stir in sugar, add cin-
namon sticks and the grated peel.
Bring to a boil, cover with a tight-
fitting lid, lower heat to simmer
and cook the fruit for about one
hour, until the fruit is plumped.
Transfer fruit and syrup to a
plastic, glass or ceramic bowl and
allow to cool completely before
serving. May be made ahead of
time and kept for up to two weeks.
Makes 12 servings.
MATZAH BALLS
For variety, add your favorite herbs
and seasonings — I like lime and
cilantro (2 Tbsp. lime juice and ¼
cup chopped cilantro).
4 large eggs, separated
4 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1 tsp. kosher salt
¼ tsp. ground black pepper
1 cup unsalted matzah meal
Whisk eggs yolks, oil, cilantro,
lime juice, salt and pepper in a
large bowl. Set aside.
In a clean, dry bowl, beat egg
whites with an electric mixer until
stiff, but not dry. Set aside for a
moment. Add the matzah meal to
the egg yolk mixture and add the
egg whites. Gently stir the whites
into the yolk mixture. Sprinkle the
matzah meal over the egg mixture
and fold it in to make a uniform
mixture. Cover the mixture and
chill for at least one hour up to
overnight.
Bring a large pot of salted water
to rapid boil. With wet hands,
form the mixture into balls (use
about 2 scant Tbsp. of mixture
to make about 8-12 balls). Drop
the formed matzah balls into the
water. Immediately cover the pot
with a tight-fitting lid and cook
until the balls are tender and float
at the top of the pot, 40-50 min-
utes. Transfer the finished matzah
balls with a slotted spoon to a deep
dish or container (there will be
water from the matzah balls, so
the dish has to be deep to catch it).
Reheat in chicken soup and serve.
Makes 8-12 matzah balls.
THE NEW ORDER
Change the way you think about
Passover.
Don’t think of Passover food
restrictions as limitations. For
example, rather than try to create
baked goods with matzah cake
meal, think beyond traditional
flour cakes. Flourless tortes or pies
with meringue crusts are year-
round favorites and perfect for
Passover.
Toasting matzah or matzah
farfel gives it a nutty, earthy flavor.
Substitute them in recipes like tra-
ditional bread stuffing, or cooked
rice in pilaf or in kugel (noodle
pudding) dishes.
Add a twist to your traditional
dishes by adding your own culi-
nary flair to them. Ingredients
such as fresh herbs, fresh baby
spinach (steamed and chopped),
roasted garlic, dried or roasted
tomatoes can liven up almost
every traditional savory dish —
even bubbie’s famous mashed
potatoes. Toss them in during
cooking or just before serving.
Another example: Add fresh
lemon juice and chopped dill to
your gefilte fish or matzah balls.
Because many people observe
seder for two nights (and the holi-
day lasts for a whole week), think
outside the matzah ball and look
for other ways to enjoy Passover
food. For example, pureed all-veg-
etables soups (potatoes and carrots
are wonderful thickeners), are rich
and hearty meal additions.
Because many Passover foods
are brown or beige (beef, matzah,
fish, potatoes), added color will
brighten the plate and make foods
more appetizing. Some suggestions
include chopped parsley, chives or
scallions, fresh fruit garnishes and
chopped red or yellow bell pepper.
Here are some recipes that
include nary a trace of matzah!
That’s a miracle in itself.
CARROT CASSEROLE
Better than the “ring!”
6 cups sliced carrots
3 Tbsp. olive oil
8 large egg whites
⅔ cup white sugar
2 tsp. kosher salt
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. vanilla extract, optional
Preheat oven to 350°F. Brush a
2-quart shallow baking dish with
olive oil. Set aside.
Cook sliced carrots in boiling
water over high heat until very
tender Bring to a boil and cook
until carrots are very tender. Drain
well. Combine all the ingredients
in a large bowl or the bowl of a
food processor and mash or pro-
cess until almost smooth.
Transfer to the prepared baking
dish and bake for 45-60 minutes
until the edges are golden and the
mixture is set. Makes 8-12 serv-
ings.
KALE POTATO
ALMOND CAKES
1 lb. kale (any variety), thick
stems removed and leaves finely
shredded
2 cups cooked mashed pota-
toes
1 cup chopped scallions, white
and green parts
½ cup finely chopped almonds
(almond flour or meal)
2 large eggs
2 Tbsp. olive or vegetable oil
1 tsp. minced garlic
Salt and pepper to taste
Olive or vegetable oil for cook-
ing (not extra-virgin)
Line a baking sheet with parch-
ment. Set aside.
Place the kale in a microwave-
safe dish. Cover with plastic wrap
and cook on high for 3 minutes.
Allow to cool, covered, while you
prepare the rest of the recipe.
Combine all remaining ingredi-
ents in a large bowl and season to
taste with salt and pepper. Add the
kale and stir well.
Use your clean hands to form
the mixture into 2½- to 3-inch pat-
ties (you should have 12-16 patties
when finished).
Pour enough oil into a large
nonstick skillet to cover the bot-
tom. Heat over medium-high heat
until hot (but not smoking).
Cook the cakes on both sides
until golden (these are a bit
delicate). Transfer them to the
prepared baking sheet as they are
cooked. Reheat in a preheated
225°F. for 10 minutes. Makes
12-16 patties.
OLIVE OIL AND SEA SALT
MASHED CAULIFLOWER
Make this your own by adding
other vegetables, such as cooked
parsnips or chopped scallions or
flavorings, such as roasted garlic,
truffle oil, shredded cheese and
butter.
2 heads cauliflower, washed
and cut into large pieces
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil or
butter
Sea salt to taste
Separate the cauliflower into
florets (you can use the core if you
chop it before cooking).
Bring about 2 cups of water to a
boil in a large pot over high heat.
Add the cauliflower, cover with
a lid, reduce heat to simmer (or
medium heat) and cook for 20-30
minutes or until very tender.
Drain the cauliflower well (the
drier, the better) and puree in a
large bowl using an electric mixer
(with a whisk attachment if you
have one) or mash with a potato
masher. Adjust salt to taste. Makes
8-12 servings.
QUINOA WITH
ASPARAGUS, ALMONDS
AND BLUEBERRIES
Quinoa, an Andes native (now
grown in this country), is not real-
ly a grain (so it’s gluten-free), but
it cooks and eats like one. It’s actu-
ally the seeds of a leafy plant that’s
a cousin to spinach and beets.
Mild in flavor, it boasts impres-
sive amounts of protein, iron,
potassium and other vitamins and
minerals, as well as a respectable
amount of dietary fiber (6 grams
per ¼-cup dry).
1½ cups quinoa
3 cups water
3 Tbsp. olive oil
½ cup chopped onions
1 pound fresh asparagus, cut
diagonally into 1-inch pieces
½ cup sliced almonds, lightly
toasted
¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped
¼ cup fresh lemon juice
1 Tbsp. lemon zest
Salt and freshly ground pep-
per, to taste
2 cups sliced fresh blueberries
Quinoa can be dusty, so wash it
three times in cold water, draining
well after each wash. Fill a large
saucepan with cold water and
bring to a boil. Add quinoa and
return to a boil. Reduce heat to
a low boil and cook, uncovered,
until tender, for an additional 20
minutes.
Transfer to a colander or sieve
and drain well. Place drained
quinoa in a large bowl and add
olive oil, tossing well to coat. Add
remaining ingredients and toss
well again. Serve at room tempera-
ture.
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