Last Friday evening marked the start of Passover, which means no leavened products, and also means much cooking to be done. I'd been planning what I was going to make this Passover, since I'd purchased a case of Matzoh from Costco and actually had a full, functioning kitchen this year. Costco saves my tuchus (the one in Rigo Park). Last year they had chocolate seder plates, this year they had an assortment of chocolate goodies from Barton's and frozen kugels (broccoli, cheese, and apple).
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| When I first opened it, I thought it had molded |
On my second attempt, I used less matzoh, but soaked the matzoh longer, making sure it was nice and soft. I also broke the matzoh into very small pieces, which made it easier for the matzoh to soak up the water, and get nice and soft. I decided to add orange San Pellegrino on a whim, after checking the ingredients. I thought about how to add moisture back into the kugel, and thought about apple pie. I use orange juice in my apple pie, and seltzer in my matzoh balls. I didn't want the kugel to be dense and heavy, so I thought the orange soda might be a nice touch to keep the kugel light and moist. This kugel takes longer to cook because of the added moisture from the soda. The liquid takes longer to cook out, but adds a nice bright flavor to the kugel.
This is the recipe for the second batch, adapted from Erika's Kitchen.
Apple Matzoh Kugel
Prep time: Cook time: Total time: Yield: 12 servings
Ingredients
7 sheets matzoh
5 eggs
2 large apples, peeled, cored and grated
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 tsp cinnamon
4 Tbsp melted butter or margarine
1/4 cup milk
1 can orange soda (San Pellegrino, contains no corn products)
You can line the pie with fruit, as I did, but I would opt not to. The strawberries ended up making the crust soggy on the bottom. Otherwise, fill with a light layer of fudge, chill so the fudge sets up slightly, and then layer with fruit, and pour another layer of fudge filling over the fruit. That way the fruit isn't directly soaking down into the crust.
Enjoy! And as the sun is setting and marking the end of this Pesach, I hope you have all had a great and happy Passover this year.
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Break
the matzoh into smallish pieces in a 9 x12 baking pan. Run hot water over the matzoh until it's covered
and let soak about 8-10 minutes, until the matzoh is soft. Drain the matzoh into a
colander, and press the soaked matzoh to remove
as much water as possible. Beat the
eggs with the milk in a large bowl. Combine the soaked matzoh, apples, sugar, cinnamon, butter or margarine, and can of soda. Let the mixture absorb the soda for 5 minutes, and pour in the egg and milk mixture. Pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish
and bake about 1.5 hours until the edges are browned, the top is
golden, and the kugel is firm. Serve as a side dish or dessert. Can be eaten hot or cold.
We brought this second kugel, as well as a fudge pie to his family's second Seder, and ended up coming home with more food than we brought!
We ended up grinding several boxes of matzoh in the blender, to make matzoh meal (for matzoh balls, and latkes). For matzoh balls, you must blend the matzoh until it is very fine. The very first attempt at making matzoh balls last year turned out miserably because I didn't grind them. I smashed them and this is what happened:
Matzoh Balls adapted from Smitten Kitchen
We brought this second kugel, as well as a fudge pie to his family's second Seder, and ended up coming home with more food than we brought!
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| The best thing we came home with, flourless chocolate cake |
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| They were way too dense! |
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| They should look like this, freshly cooked ^_^ |
Prep time: 35 minutes; Cook time: 30 minutes; Total time: 1 hour 5 minutes; Yield: 7-10 balls
Ingredients
1/2 cup matzo meal (finely ground)
2 eggs, lightly beaten
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Ingredients
1/2 cup matzo meal (finely ground)
2 eggs, lightly beaten
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoons chicken stock
2 tablespoons seltzer
Instructions
Mix all the matzo ball ingredients in a bowl. Cover and place in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
Bring a medium sized pot of well-salted water to a boil before reducing the flame. Make sure your hands are thoroughly wet before forming the maztoh balls. Form matzo balls by dropping spoonfuls of matzo ball batter approximately 1-inch in diameter into the palm of your wet hands and rolling them loosely into balls. Drop them into the simmering salt water one at a time. Cover the pot and cook them for 30 to 40 minutes.
About ten minutes before the matzo balls are ready, bring prepared
chicken stock to a simmer with the sliced carrot in it. Ladle some soup
and a couple matzo balls into each bowl and serve! (I'll share my chicken stock recipe another day!)
Potato Latkes
Prep Time: 20 minutes; Cook Time: 15 minutes; Total Time: 30 minutes; Yield: 12-15 latkes
Ingredients
3 Russet Potatoes, grated
1/2 medium onion (finely chopped through the blender)
2 medium eggs, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons matzoh meal
Vegetable oil for frying
Instructions
In a cheesecloth, wring the moisture out of the grated potatoes and onion. Then mix together with the rest of the ingredients. Scoop a heaping spoonful into your hands and shape into patties. Heat a skillet over high flame, and drizzle some oil into the pan. Reduce the flame to medium, and drop the patties into the hot oil. Cook the latkes over medium heat until gold brown on one side (about 2 minutes) and flip onto the other side. Once they're done, pop them out of the skillet onto a plate or tray lined with paper towels. This will soak up any excess oil on the latkes.
Enjoy! I like to eat mine with a dollop of sour cream and wedge of goat cheese.
What is a Jewish holiday without brisket? (Maybe Yom Kippur ;P )
Even though I don't eat meat, I tackled brisket so that Dede would have something other than kugel, and latkes. I purchased the brisket, which was kosher for passover, from Trader Joe's (about $17.00). The package came with instructions, so I vaguely winged it by combining some instructions from the web and the instructions on the package.
I seared it, as the package said, on either side. Afterwards, I rubbed it with a little minced garlic, salt, pepper, freshly minced rosemary, dried oregano, paprika, and chili powder. The package said to let it sit in a roasting pan on 350 F in the oven for 3-4 hours, covered with vegetables if so desired.
I let the roast cook for the first hour without vegetables and meanwhile quartered some yukon gold potatoes, sliced some carrots and mushrooms, and tossed them with a little oil and the same spice mixture. Then I covered the roast with the vegetables and let it cook altogether for the remaining 2 hours. Let the brisket rest 5 minutes on the cutting board before slicing.
In addition to brisket, I also attempted cholent. I had never had cholent, had only watched the making of cholent in a documentary about Passover in a class on religious food traditions. I pulled out my brand new slow cooker just for this (I use a gas stove/oven and am uneasy about leaving it on for 12 hours).
Cholent adapted from NY Times:“Quick & Kosher: Recipes From the Bride Who Knew Nothing,” by Jamie Geller
Prep time: 10 minutes Cook Time: 12-15 hours; Yield: 2 1/2 quarts
Ingredients
2 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 1/2-inch chunks
1 medium onion, peeled and cut into 1 1/2-inch chunks
1/2 to 1 pound boneless beef short ribs, cut in 1 1/2-inch chunks (having already been kashered)
Pepper, to taste
3/4 cup pearl barley
3 cups chicken broth
2 tablespoons paprika
Salt to taste
1 small can tomato paste
Instructions
Line the bottom of a slow cooker with the potatoes, the onion and then the short ribs, sprinkling the meat with pepper to taste. Add the can of tomato paste, and scatter the barley on top, then pour in the broth. Sprinkle with the paprika and salt to taste. Add enough water to cover all the ingredients. Cook on low for 12 to 15 hours, stirring occasionally (except during Shabbat, for those who observe it), adding more water when necessary. The longer the cholent cooks, the better it will be.
The final recipe of the day is one which I forgot to take a picture of. It is a fudge pie with matzoh cracker crust. I was inspired by the idea of a graham cracker crust and thought I could replicate it with ground matzo. We were supposed to make chocolate covered strawberries, but I had already cut and frozen the strawberries. I thought the next step could be to make a fudge pie with a matzoh crust, and line the bottom of the crust with the thawed strawberries. The fudge pie filling is adapted from a easy fudge recipe I read on the back of an Eaglebrand condensed milk can as a little girl. It was my go to recipe growing up, for bakesales, treats to bring to school, because it was quick and easy.
Matzoh Pie Crust
Prep time: 5 minutes; Cook time: 10 minutes; Total time: 15 minutes; Yield: 2 pie crusts
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups finely ground matzoh meal
1/3 cup white sugar
6 tablespoons butter, melted
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
additional vegetable oil
Instructions
Mix the first 4 ingredients in a medium sized bowl. Because matzoh is so dry, the butter won't be enough to coat all the matzoh crumbs. Drizzle a few more tablespoons of vegetable oil, until all the crumbs are thoroughly coated in oil. This will make it easier for you to press the mixture into pie tins. Bake at 375 F for 10 minutes. Cool for 15 minutes.
Fudge Pie Filling
Ingredients
1 stick of butter
1 can of condensed milk (Carnation, kosher for Passover)
12 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips
dash of salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions:
Mix all the matzo ball ingredients in a bowl. Cover and place in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
Bring a medium sized pot of well-salted water to a boil before reducing the flame. Make sure your hands are thoroughly wet before forming the maztoh balls. Form matzo balls by dropping spoonfuls of matzo ball batter approximately 1-inch in diameter into the palm of your wet hands and rolling them loosely into balls. Drop them into the simmering salt water one at a time. Cover the pot and cook them for 30 to 40 minutes.
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| Matzoh ball soup! |
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| Two on left are mine, one on right is from Costco |
Prep Time: 20 minutes; Cook Time: 15 minutes; Total Time: 30 minutes; Yield: 12-15 latkes
Ingredients
3 Russet Potatoes, grated
1/2 medium onion (finely chopped through the blender)
2 medium eggs, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons matzoh meal
Vegetable oil for frying
Instructions
In a cheesecloth, wring the moisture out of the grated potatoes and onion. Then mix together with the rest of the ingredients. Scoop a heaping spoonful into your hands and shape into patties. Heat a skillet over high flame, and drizzle some oil into the pan. Reduce the flame to medium, and drop the patties into the hot oil. Cook the latkes over medium heat until gold brown on one side (about 2 minutes) and flip onto the other side. Once they're done, pop them out of the skillet onto a plate or tray lined with paper towels. This will soak up any excess oil on the latkes.
Enjoy! I like to eat mine with a dollop of sour cream and wedge of goat cheese.
What is a Jewish holiday without brisket? (Maybe Yom Kippur ;P )
Even though I don't eat meat, I tackled brisket so that Dede would have something other than kugel, and latkes. I purchased the brisket, which was kosher for passover, from Trader Joe's (about $17.00). The package came with instructions, so I vaguely winged it by combining some instructions from the web and the instructions on the package.
I seared it, as the package said, on either side. Afterwards, I rubbed it with a little minced garlic, salt, pepper, freshly minced rosemary, dried oregano, paprika, and chili powder. The package said to let it sit in a roasting pan on 350 F in the oven for 3-4 hours, covered with vegetables if so desired.
 | |||
| Roasted Vegetables |
In addition to brisket, I also attempted cholent. I had never had cholent, had only watched the making of cholent in a documentary about Passover in a class on religious food traditions. I pulled out my brand new slow cooker just for this (I use a gas stove/oven and am uneasy about leaving it on for 12 hours).
 |
| Beginning of the process |
Cholent adapted from NY Times:“Quick & Kosher: Recipes From the Bride Who Knew Nothing,” by Jamie Geller
Prep time: 10 minutes Cook Time: 12-15 hours; Yield: 2 1/2 quarts
Ingredients
2 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 1/2-inch chunks
1 medium onion, peeled and cut into 1 1/2-inch chunks
1/2 to 1 pound boneless beef short ribs, cut in 1 1/2-inch chunks (having already been kashered)
Pepper, to taste
3/4 cup pearl barley
3 cups chicken broth
2 tablespoons paprika
Salt to taste
1 small can tomato paste
Instructions
Line the bottom of a slow cooker with the potatoes, the onion and then the short ribs, sprinkling the meat with pepper to taste. Add the can of tomato paste, and scatter the barley on top, then pour in the broth. Sprinkle with the paprika and salt to taste. Add enough water to cover all the ingredients. Cook on low for 12 to 15 hours, stirring occasionally (except during Shabbat, for those who observe it), adding more water when necessary. The longer the cholent cooks, the better it will be.
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| The final result! |
Matzoh Pie Crust
Prep time: 5 minutes; Cook time: 10 minutes; Total time: 15 minutes; Yield: 2 pie crusts
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups finely ground matzoh meal
1/3 cup white sugar
6 tablespoons butter, melted
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
additional vegetable oil
Instructions
Mix the first 4 ingredients in a medium sized bowl. Because matzoh is so dry, the butter won't be enough to coat all the matzoh crumbs. Drizzle a few more tablespoons of vegetable oil, until all the crumbs are thoroughly coated in oil. This will make it easier for you to press the mixture into pie tins. Bake at 375 F for 10 minutes. Cool for 15 minutes.
Fudge Pie Filling
Ingredients
1 stick of butter
1 can of condensed milk (Carnation, kosher for Passover)
12 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips
dash of salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions:
Melt the stick of butter in a saucepan, add the condensed milk, vanilla extract, dash of salt, and semi-sweet chocolate chips. Continuously fold the mixture, mixing the chocolate in while it's melting, preventing any burning on the bottom of the pan. Once all the chocolate has melted, and the mixture is smooth, pour into prepared pie crust. Chill in fridge for 2 hours, or until filling has set.
You can line the pie with fruit, as I did, but I would opt not to. The strawberries ended up making the crust soggy on the bottom. Otherwise, fill with a light layer of fudge, chill so the fudge sets up slightly, and then layer with fruit, and pour another layer of fudge filling over the fruit. That way the fruit isn't directly soaking down into the crust.
Enjoy! And as the sun is setting and marking the end of this Pesach, I hope you have all had a great and happy Passover this year.
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