28 | MARCH 18 • 2021
P
assover is a long holi-
day. And it feels longer
because the menu is so
limited. Or is it? Don’t let food
worries color your cooking
creativity. These days there
are other ingredients such as
quinoa (not
a grain at all,
but seeds) and
tapioca flour,
for example to
cook with.
Growing up,
my mother
made matzah
brei during
Passover. It was a dish her
Polish parents prepared for her
family. It was almost the only
“traditional” food she made
for our family during Passover.
She would serve it salty or
sweet, sprinkled with cinna-
mon and sugar or spread with
fruit jam. It was our tradition.
Basically, it is moistened
matzah (use water), drained
and mixed with eggs (1 pound
matzah, 4 large eggs and a tea-
spoon of salt, mixed together).
She fried it in a skillet with oil
and it was heavenly.
Sure, you can avoid any
floury foods (many of us do it
anyway), or you can embrace
your inner bubbie and look
for fun and creative ways to
add matzah to your favorite
entrees. Breakfast, lunch or
dinner, take your Passover
food to a different level — not
gourmet, just interesting and
pleasing.
Go ahead — think inside
the box (of matzah, of course).
Use some newer ingredients
and have some fun. Start some
new traditions.
QUINOA WITH
VEGETABLES
What makes this dish extra
luxurious are the oodles
of sauteed vegetables you
can customize to your own
tastes — super versatile.
You also use it as a stuffing
for vegetables, such as bell
peppers, zucchini boats or
my favorite, semi-hollowed
eggplant halves. If you
feel like adding a handful
of dried fruits or nuts to
the mix, feel free. I didn’t
include them in the recipe
because Passover food
already has so many reci-
pes with fruits and nuts.
Ingredients
½ cup dry quinoa
1 cup water
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
1 tsp. minced garlic
1 cup chopped mushrooms (about
4 ounces)
1 cup ¼-inch diced carrots
1 cup ¼-inch diced zucchini,
unpeeled
Kosher salt and black pepper to
taste
Optional: Fresh herbs, such as
sage, dill, basil
Optional: Splash Balsamic vinegar
Directions
Preheat oven to 425º. Line
a rimmed baking sheet with
parchment. Set aside.
Combine the quinoa and
water in a small saucepan
and bring the water to a
boil over medium-high heat.
Remove the saucepan from
the heat and place a lid on
the pan. Allow the quinoa to
cool in the pan.
In the meantime, com-
bine the oil, onion, garlic,
mushrooms, carrots and
zucchini in a bowl and toss
well. Season lightly with
salt and pepper and spread
on the baking sheet. Cook
for 10-15 minutes until the
vegetables are just tender.
Transfer back to the bowl
and add the quinoa and
toss well. Adjust seasoning
to taste. Makes 4-6 serv-
ings.
BRAZILIAN CHEESE
BREAD (PAO DE QUEIJO)
As many of you know, my
family is Brazilian, and this
is one of our favorite treats.
They have a sort of gummy
texture on the inside, which
is what I love about them
most. You can purchase
these, uncooked, frozen in
many groceries or you can
make yourself with this easy
recipe.
Ingredients
1 cup milk
½ cup butter
1 tsp. salt
2 cups tapioca flour
2 large eggs
1 ½ cups freshly grated Parmesan
cheese
Directions
Preheat oven to 400º.
Brush a 12-cup muffin tin or
24 cup mini-muffin tin with
vegetable oil. Set aside
Combine milk, salt and
butter in a large saucepan
over medium-high heat.
Whisk the mixture constant-
ly until it comes to a boil.
Remove from heat immedi-
ately and stir in tapioca flour
until smooth. Add the eggs
and cheese and stir until
smooth. Set aside to cool.
Divide among the muffin
tins and bake until puffy
and golden, 15-20 minutes.
Makes 12 large or 24 mini
cheese breads. Eat imme-
diately or reheat in a 300º
oven for about 5 minutes.
BARBARA’S
MATZAH BALLS
My friend makes matzah
balls from, guess what,
actual matzah! She uses
schmaltz (chicken fat) to
make these glorious. She’s
made them without it and
says it’s just not the same.
These make sturdy, dense
orbs, just as her family likes.
Annabel
Cohen
Contributing writer
Creative Cooking for Passover
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