More Passover Recipes. Thanks For Being Here!
Three-Ingredient Medjool Date "Barton's Almond Kisses," My Mom's Mushroom, Matzo & Apple Kugel, Passover Pasta, One-Pan Quinoa, Chicken & Veggies, Chewy Almond Horn Cookies
Three-Ingredient Medjool Date “Barton’s Almond Kisses”
Makes 10
If you ever had these in their heyday, you’ll know just how Proustian and meaningful this sweet bite can be. My version is by no means a dupe, but it evoked the chewy, caramelly, chocolatey, and nutty experience I can still taste to this day. If ony I still had the gorgeous back-and-neon square can (if you know, you know).
10 medjool dates, pitted
20 roasted almonds, salted or unsalted
1¼ cups semi sweet or bittersweet chocolate chips or chopped chocolate
Flaky sea salt, for garnish
Wrap a dinner plate in plastic wrap.
Stuff 2 Almonds inside each date.
Place the chocolate In a small microwave-safe bowl and melt, stopping microwave every 30 seconds to stir chocolate, 90 seconds to 2 minutes total.
One at a time, to put the dates in the chocolate, rolling them around with a fork, then lifting them out of the chocolate with the fork and letting the excess trip off. Sprinkle with flajy salt. Transfer to the plastic-wrapped plate. Repeat with the remaining dates and chill in the refrigerator until the shell is hardened, 20 to 30 minutes. Remove from the refrigerator and wrap each date individually in plastic wrap for snacks, or serve unwrapped as a dessert course on a platter.
My Mom’s Mushroom, Apple & Matzo Kugel
Serves 8
My late mother, Steffi Sussman z”l, made this for seder every year, and I have a positively Pavlovian response when I smell mushrooms (lots of them!), apples, celery, and caramelized onions mingled with broken matzo and warm spices. I add lemon zest, chili flakes, and dates for an Israeli twist!
Vegans, just leave out the eggs; it’ll be a drop looser, but no less delicious.
Cooking spray
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium white onion, roughly chopped
1 medium red onion, roughly chopped
2 stalks celery, sliced
2 pounds button mushrooms, tough stems removed, sliced
¼ cup golden raisins
4 large medjool dates, pitted & chopped
1 large apple, cored and chopped
½ cup chopped parsley
3 matzos, crushed into bite-sized pieces
Water, for moistening the matzah (if necessary)
2 eggs, beaten
Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
1 teaspoon honey
¼ teaspoon chili flakes
½ teaspoon paprika
½ teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon, or to taste
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Coat an 8-x10-inch baking dish with cooking spray and set aside.
Heat the oil in a large (at least 6-quart) pot over medium heat. Add the onions and celery and sauté, stirring occasionally, until translucent and just beginning to caramelize, 8 to 9 minutes.
Add the mushrooms and cook until they release their water and are reduced in size by half, 5 to 6 minutes. Stir in the raisins, dates, apples, and parsley and cook, stirring, until the apples just begin to get tender, 3 to 4 minutes.
Remove from the heat, add the matzo and stir thoroughly until incorporated; if there is not enough liquid to hydrate the matzo, add water a few tablespoons at a time until the mazto is soft, but not mushy. Let cool until no longer steaming, 10 minutes.
Stir in the eggs, lemon zest, honey, chili flakes, paprika, salt, and cinnamon; mix well.
Transfer to the prepared pan and bake until the top begins to brown, 40-50 minutes.
Passover Pasta (For soup or any time)
Makes 3 cups noodles
These flour-free noodles are so versatile! Be traditional and add them to your Seder-night soup, or make them any day with this cheesy, buttery sauce.
Noodles:
1/3 cup potato starch
1/4 cup water
4 eggs
1/4 teaspoon salt
Pinch of paprika
Neutral cooking spray
Toppings: Butter, olive oil, parm, salt, pepper, and basil.
Whisk starch and water in a large bowl. Whisk in eggs, salt and paprika until incorporated. Heat an 8- or 9-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat; spray with cooking spray or brush with butter/oil.
Working quickly, ladle in 1/3 cup of the batter and tilt the skillet in a circular motion to swirl and coat bottom of pan evenly. Cook until just set, 30-45 seconds. Loosen the sides with a spatula and invert onto a large plate.
Repeat with remaining batter, adding cooking spray before each crepe and stacking finished crepes on top of each other (recipe will make 5-6 crepes.) Roll stacked crepes into a tight log and slice into noodles (thickness of your choice!)
Serve with soup, or with any of the toppings listed above.
One-Pan Quinoa, Chicken & Veggies
Serves 4 to 6
Very simple to prepare but packed with veggies and flavor and a winner for pesach or any time of the year.
1 ½ cups uncooked quinoa
6 large boneless skinless chicken thighs
1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more for seasoning
½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper, plus more for seasoning
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
1 pound button mushrooms, trimmed and sliced
4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
2 small zucchini, cut into ¼-inch rounds
2 medium carrots, diced
2 ½ cups low sodium chicken broth
Chopped parsley, for serving.
Rinse the quinoa under cold water; drain well. Season the chicken generously on both sides with salt and pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in large, heavy (10-inch) skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook until golden, 3 minutes per side; transfer the chicken and any juices to a plate. Add another tablespoon of oil in the skillet.
Add the onions and cook, stirring, until lightly golden, 7 to 8 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 1 more minute. Add the mushrooms, carrots, and zucchini and cook, stirring, until the vegetables begin to soften, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the quinoa to the skillet, then the broth, and stir to combine.
Raise the heat to high, bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium and cook until the quinoa begins to soften, 10 minutes. Add the chicken back to the skillet, cover, reduce the heat to medium-low, and cook, until the quinoa is fluffy with a white squiggle and the chicken is tender, 17 to 18 minutes. Drizzle with the remaining tablespoon oil, season with salt and pepper, and garnish with parsley.
Rina’s Nut Crescent Cookies
Makes 25 to 30 cookies/Dough requires overnight chilling
These irresistible cookies came my way courtesy of my dear friend Avishai Ben Aroch’s mother, Rina. They’re gluten-free, chewy, and perfect as a Seder dessert or enjoyed with a glass of mint tea
1/2 cup (100 grams) sugar
2 large egg whites
1 cup (130 grams) whole walnuts, hazelnuts, or a mix 3/4 cup (106 grams) whole almonds
1 tablespoon (2 grams) finely grated lemon zest (from 2 large lemons)
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon (4 grams/ml) pure vanilla extract
1 cup (90 grams) sliced almonds
Confectioners’ sugar, for dusting
Bring 3 inches of water to a simmer in a pot, then set a metal bowl over the pot to create a double boiler (the bottom of the bowl shouldn’t touch the water below). Add the sugar and egg whites to the upper bowl and whisk, stirring, until the sugar is just dissolved, about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and cool slightly.
In the bowl of a food processor, process the walnuts and almonds until a fine flour forms, 20 to 25 seconds, making sure not to overprocess them into a nut butter. Add the lemon zest, cinnamon, vanilla, a pinck of kosher or fine sea salt, and the egg-sugar mixture and process until a wet, sticky dough forms, 10 to 15 seconds. Transfer the mixture to an airtight container and refrigerate for at least 8 hours or overnight.
Arrange racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment and clear a clean work surface. Place the sliced almonds on a plate. Pull off a tablespoon of the chilled dough from the bowl and roll it in the almonds, pressing so the nuts adhere on all sides. Roll it into a ball in your hands, sprinkle a few more nuts into your hand, and roll the ball into a 3/4-inch-thick, 4-inch-long rope, tapering the ends slightly.
Place the rope on the prepared baking sheet and bend the ends downward to form a crescent shape. Repeat with the remaining dough and nuts, arranging the cookies 2 inches apart on the sheets; you should have 18 to 20 cookies.
Bake, rotating and switching the baking sheets halfway through, until fragrant and the almond coating is very lightly golden, about 15 minutes.
Cool completely on the baking sheet. Dust with confectioners’ sugar before serving. Store on the counter in an airtight container for up to 1 week, or in the freezer for up to 6 months.
Tnese recipes look great and very doable!! Thank you.
Thank you!