38 April 18 • 2019 jn continued on page 40 P assover lasts for a long time, especially when you’ re thinking about the food you’ ll eat. That’ s a lot of eating home-cooked fare and lots of matzah. Each year, I forget how much I like matzah brie … until Passover. Then I wonder why I don’ t make it all year long. I prepare it sweet for breakfast (soak matzah in a mixture of whisked eggs and milk — 1 egg and ½ cup of milk for every matzah sheet — and fry in butter or oil with lots of cinnamon and sugar). I make savory at night. Nix the sweetness and add fresh or frozen (thawed) spinach, cottage cheese, feta cheese to the mix and fry slowly in olive oil. Aside from classics, there is a whole week of snacks and meals that can get pretty dull, especially when there are often so many seder leftovers you simply cannot stuff another bite of “brisket on matzah” into your mouth. Here are some thought-starters to keep the holiday noshing modern, fresh and fabulous. ASPARAGUS SOUP 2 pounds asparagus (2 bunches) 1 Tbsp. unsalted butter 1½ cups chopped onions 1 cup chopped celery 1½ cups peeled, 1-inch Idaho or russet potatoes 1 cup ½-inch carrot rings 6 cups water Kosher salt and white pepper, to taste ½ cup half-and-half Trim the top 2 inches of the asparagus stalks and set aside (these will be used to garnish the soup). Cut the tough ends off the asparagus (it’ s lighter in color and “ tough” — do not use). Press “ sauté” on the Instant Pot and add butter to the pot. Add the onions and saute until tender, stirring occasionally. Add the asparagus (not the tips), potatoes, carrots, water and 1 tsp. salt and ½ tsp. white pepper. Seal the lid on the pot and press “high pressure” or “ manual, ” press the “ plus +” to add 10 minutes to the cooking time. When finished cooking, allow the pot to cool for 15 minutes. Release any remaining steam manually. To make on the stove, saute in a large saucepan or soup pot, bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then cook on medium heat for about 30-40 minutes. Use an immersion blender, blender or food proces- sor to make the soup smooth. Adjust salt and pepper to taste. To serve, warm the soup with the remaining asparagus tips. Drizzle in the half-and-half and serve. Makes 8 or more servings (depending on portion size). MATZAH AND MUSHROOM STUFFED ROLLED EGGPLANT 1 large eggplant, sliced vertically into thin slices Vegetable oil for brushing over the eggplant Olive oil 1 cup chopped onions 12 ounces sliced mushrooms Salt and pepper to taste. 1½ sheets matzah, crumbled ¼ cup pine nuts, lightly toasted 1 large egg 1½-2 cups good-quality marinara sauce 1½ cups shredded mozzarella cheese Preheat oven to 350ºF. Lightly brush one or two rimmed baking sheets with olive oil. Arrange the egg- plant slices on the baking sheet and lightly brush the eggplants with additional olive oil. Bake the eggplant slices until softened, about 10-15 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool. Meanwhile, heat another 2 Tbsps. oil in a large non- stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onions and saute about 3 minutes. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally for another 3 minutes. (Do not allow all the liquid to evaporate.) Stir in the matzah and cook 2 minutes more. Remove from heat and cool slightly before adding the pine nuts, salt and pepper to taste. Let this mixture cool slightly. Reduce heat to 350ºF. Spray a baking large dish with nonstick cooking spray (large enough to accommodate the eggplant rolls). Place one slice of cooked eggplant on a clean surface. Spoon about ¼-1/3 cup of matzah mixture at one end of the slice and roll carefully. Carefully place the eggplant roll in the baking dish. Repeat the process, packing the eggplant into the dish tightly until all the slices and fill- ing are used. Spoon the marinara sauce over the rolls and cover in foil. Bake, covered in foil for 20 minutes. Remove the foil, sprinkle over the cheese and bake for 15-20 minutes more, until the cheese is melted. Makes 6-8 servings. CHOCOLATE CHOCOLATE CHIP CRACKLE COOKIES These are thin and fudgy with an almost meringue- type, crackled top. 3 cups powdered sugar 2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder ½ tsp. salt 3 large egg whites at room temperature 1 tsp. vanilla extract 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar, cocoa powder and salt. Add the vanilla and egg white and whisk until you obtain a thick batter (because there is no flour, the bat- ter must be thick or it will “ spread” too much on the baking sheet. Annabel Cohen Contributing Writer passover Beyond The Seder These recipes can help add variety to the remainder of Passover meals.