the rabbi s tish

The Rabbi's TishPassover Recipes

Rabbi David A. KuninNisan 5779

Table of Contents

Charoset .......... 2Huevos Haminados .......... 3

Chicken Soup .......... 4Kneidlach .......... 5

Kiftes de Prasa .......... 6Passover Brisket .......... 7

Passover Moroccan Pastilla .......... 8Passover Yorkshire Pudding .......... 10

Tzimmes .......... 11Potato Kugel .......... 12

Cranberry Pineapple Kugel .......... 13Matzah Chocolate Caramel Buttercrunch .......... 14

Frozen Strawberry (Fruit) Meringue .......... 15Passover Brownies .......... 15

Almond Cake with Cardamom .......... 16Chocolate and Olive Oil Mousse .......... 17

Orange-Coconut Flan .......... 18

1

Charoset (Ashkenazic Traditional)Serves 10 - 15 people

Charoset is a favorite Passover food. While it reminds us of the morter used to buildPharaoh's buildings, it is always tasty. Only a small amount is needed for the ritual,but more charoset will be appreciated by all your guests. This Ashkenazic recipe

actually tastes better as a leftover during the middle days of the holidays. Thisversion is from Eastern Europe. Sephardic charoset is very different, often including

figs and dates.

½ cup walnuts3 large peeled and cored apples

3 tbsp. of sugar or honey2 tsps. cinnamonDash of ginger

1/3 cup of sweet red wine

Hand chop nuts and apples till coarsely chopped (if a food processor is used chop nuts and apples separately) – some people mince the mixture, while others like a coarser mixture. Mix apples and nuts together and add all the other ingredients. Mix until well combined.

Refrigerate until serving.

2

Huevos Haminados (Jewish Eggs)(Based on recipe from Sephardic Cooking by Copeland Marks)Make one egg per person

Huevos Haminados or Jewish eggs are a staple at many Sephardic homes on Shabbatand holidays. They are, however, served especially on Passover, where eggs are thefirst food to be eaten during the meal. Their brown color and interesting taste make

them especially appropriate as they provide an additional "difference," on a night thatshould be "different from all other nights." The recipes by Copeland Marks have

special meaning for me, as he was my father's cousin. A prolific cookbook author, heloved to cook and to tell stories about his colourful life.

6 raw eggs (room temperature)1 tsp. salt

Pinch of pepper½ tsp. tea leaves

½ tsp. coffee grounds3 to 4 onion skins1 tsp. vegetable oil

1 tsp. vinegar

Place all the ingredients in a small sauce pan and cover with water. Bring to a boil, then cover the pan and reduce the heat to the lowest setting. Cook for five to six hours, checking the pot periodically to ensure the ingredients are covered with water. Then drain, rinse and shell the eggs. Refrigerate till eaten. The eggs should take on a nice rich brown colour.

3

Chicken SoupMakes 5-6 quarts

After the egg, every seder meal I have attended began with chicken soup. Servedwith kneidlach, it was always the best part of the meal. This recipe takes time, but it

creates an especially rich and flavourfull soup.

Three chickens (or two 6 to 8-pound stewing hens)2 large onions2 whole leaks

4 whole carrots4 whole Parsnips

Large bunch of Parsley1-2 tsps. crushed pepper

Lemon Juice (two or more tbsp.)5 to 6 quarts of Water

Salt if needed

Cut one chicken in half, and then clean one whole chicken and one of the halves. Remove most of the fat from the cavities of the chickens. Then place the cleaned chicken in a large stockpot (8 qts. – if smaller use only one chicken or ½ a hen). Cover with water and one half of the vegetables (but not the parsley)

Bring to a boil and immediately turn down the heat. Skim off all the foam that rises to the surface of the water. Add half the pepper and half the parsley. Simmer on a very low heat for 3 hours, occasionally skimming the soup.

Remove the chicken and vegetables from the soup. Strain the soup and allow it to cool. Refrigerate overnight.

On the next day, remove the congealed fat (schmaltz) from the top of the soup, and save for use with the kneidlach. Then repeat all of the steps outlined above with the remaining chicken and other ingredients using the stock from yesterday instead of thewater. You may need to add a bit more water to cover the ingredients in the pot.

It is best if the soup can then rest for an additional night, allowing for the removal of any fat on the following day. Following the removal of the fat, the soup can then be tasted, and the salt and pepper adjusted. Add two tbsps. (or more) lemon juice to the stock.

Note – the addition of a piece of flanken (short rib of beef) to the above recipe will create a soup with a richer flavour.

4

Kneidlach (Matzah Balls)(Based on the recipe found on most boxes of Matzah Meal)makes 12-16 balls

4Eggs½cupofseltzer(clubsoda)

6tbsps.schmaltz(seesouprecipe)oroliveoilSalt

Freshlygroundpepper½tsp.ofgingerornutmeg(op@onal)

1cupofmatzahmeal(NOTMATZAHBALLMIX)

[email protected]@rintheseltzer,schmaltz(oil),salt,pepper,andaddi@onalspice(ifwanted).Graduallyaddthematzahmealwhilecon@[email protected]@run@lalltheingredientsarewellcombined.Coverandrefrigerateovernight(aminimumofthreehours).

Boilalargepotfullofwatertoaboil.Usingyourhands,rolloutabouttwotbsps.ofbaSerintosmallballsanddropintotheboilingwater.Coverthepot(turningdowntheheatsoitwon’tboilover)andcookforthirtyminutes.Servetheballsinthechickensoup.

Note–youcanalsobaketheuncookedballsonawell-oiledbakingsheetforaboutthirtyminutes(at175degrees)[email protected].

5

Kiftes de Prasa (Passover Leek Patties)Makes around 10 patties(Based on recipe from Sephardic Cooking by Copeland Marks)

Like the Huevos Haminados, these kiftes de Prasa (Passover leek patties) are a stapleof many Sephardic Passover seders. On passover they are served with the soup along

with the kneidlach.

4 large leeks – well trimmed and cleaned1 pound ground beef, chicken or turkey (preferably dark meat)

1 tsp. salt½ tsp. white pepper

1 tbsp. garlic powder1 tbsp. sweet Hungarian paprika

¼ cup matzah meal2 large eggs – beaten

Oil for pan frying½ cup of chicken broth

Slice the leeks into thin juliennes, about 2 inches long, and cook them in ½ cup of water in a small covered pan for ten minutes on a medium/high heat, or until soft. Drain well and gently press out as much water as possible.

Mix the leeks with the meat, salt, pepper, spices, eggs and matzah meal until well combined. Make small patties (or balls) using about a 1/3 cup mixture for each ball.

Heat the oil in a skillet and fry the patties over a moderate heat until browned on all sides. The patties should feel fairly solid. Set aside the cooked patties until all are done. Then place all of them in a skillet and pour the soup over the patties. Cook utilizing medium heat until all the broth is evaporated.

6

Passover Brisket(Based on recipe from Susie Fishbein’s, Passover by Design)Serves 8 - 10 people

This brisket recipe is very easy with very little preparation and always delicious.Look for a fatty brisket rather than one that is lean. The fat provides a lot of the taste,

and also a much more tender consistency.

Brisket – about 4 poundsOne large onion, cut into rings

5-6 cloves of garlic, minced½ cup of Passover Ketchup

½ cup of Passover barbecue sauce3 tbsps. of brown sugar

Preheat the oven to 175 C.

Mix the ketchup, barbecue sauce and sugar until well combined.

Place the brisket into a heavy baking pan that is just large enough to hold the meat. Spread the onions on top of the meat, and then scatter the garlic on top of the onions. Pour the ketchup mixture over the meat

Cover the pan with foil and cook the brisket for 2 ½ to 3 hours. The brisket should betender. Then rest the meat for 15-20 minutes and then thinly slice (leave the onions on top as you slice the meat). Serve with the de-fatted sauce. The meat can be reheated in the sauce.

7

Passover Moroccan Pastilla(Original recipe)Serves 6 - 8 people

A pastilla is a traditional moroccan dish, consisting of a savoury filling surroundedby filo dough. Here matzah replaces the filo dough. We first had a pastilla (upon

which this is based) in a Moroccan restaurant in Jerusalem. Like this one, the fillingwas chicken and nuts, topped with powdered sugar and cinnamon. Then and now it

was an amazing and unexpected combination.

2 soup cooked chicken breasts, roughly chopped6 cloves of garlic, crushed and minced

2 small red onions grated1 cup parsley roughly chopped½ cup cilantro roughly chopped

1 tsp turmeric1 pinch saffron

1 to 2 tbsp. chopped fresh ginger2 cinnamon quills

4 tbsps. margarine (60 g)2 ½ cups chicken stock for sauce, and 1 cup for the matzah

4 tbsps. fresh lemon juice8 eggs lightly beaten, and 3 additional eggs beaten

1 tbsp. icing sugar (plus extra to dust)1 to 2 tsps. Cinnamon (plus extra to dust)

1 ¼ cup of blanched almonds, roasted and roughly chopped (slivered almonds don’tneed to be chopped)

2 tbsps. olive oil4 or more sheets of Matzah

8

Preheat the oven to 190 C.Lightly oil a rectangular baking dish.

Place the garlic, onions, parsley, cilantro, turmeric, saffron, ginger, cinnamon, margarine and chicken stock into a medium saucepan and reduce uncovered for about30 minutes (until you have 1 ½ cups of liquid). Reduce the heat to medium and add in the lemon juice. Then briskly stir in the 8 lightly beaten eggs and cook stirring for 3 to 5 minutes until the mixture resembles scrambled eggs or curds. Taste at this time. Adjust the salt and pepper. If salty add additional lemon juice. Mix in the chicken and let sit until cool - then drain out excess liquid. Then mix in the three remaining uncooked beaten eggs.

Mix the cinnamon, sugar and almonds together, and set aside.

Dip two of the matzot into the stock until moistened but not falling apart. Lay them on the bottom of the baking pan. Then spoon in the chicken mixture till all the matzah is covered. Then press the almond mixture onto the chicken mixture. Take the last two matzot and moisten them in the same way as the first two. Places these on the top of the pastilla. Brush the top of the matzah with 2 tbsp. of olive oil.

Bake the pastilla 15 minutes. Allow to cool slightly, then dust the top with icing sugar and cinnimon.

Note: This recipe was developed to utilize the chickens that were used for the soup. If you want to use uncooked chicken, then follow these steps: Place the chicken breasts (or a similar amount of dark meat) and all the ingredients in the first paragraph into a large sauce pan and barely cover the chicken with water (no stock is used in this version), season well with salt (not so important for kosher chickens). Bring to a boil and simmer covered for 40 minutes. Remove the chicken, and then reduce the liquid remaining as outlined in paragraph one.

9

Passover Yorkshire Pudding (Popovers)(Based on recipe from Susie Fishbein’s, Passover by Design)Makes 8-12

Non-stick cooking spray or oil1 cup water

½ cup (113 grams) unsalted butter or margarine½ cup matzah meal

½ cup matzah cake meal½ tsp. fine sea salt

2 tbsps. sugar6 large eggs

Preheat the oven to 232 C. Then, generously grease the top and insides of a muffin/popover/Yorkshire pudding tin. In a medium pot bring the water and butter or margarine to a boil over a medium heat. Add all the dry ingredients and continue to cook until the batter no longer sticks to the side of the pot.

Remove and place the dough in an electric mixer (be sure to use a deep mixer bowl). Beat at a high speed for one minute (raise the speed carefully, if you go too high the batter will shoot out of the bowl). Then, as you continue to beat the batter add each egg one at a time. Add the next after the previous egg is incorporated. Then beat the mixture for an additional 2 minutes, scraping down the sides as necessary.

Divide the batter evenly among 8-12 popover compartments. Place in the oven and bake for 20 minutes. Turn down the oven (without opening the door) to 160 C. Bake until they are puffed and golden brown. Watch the puddings carefully, this second process can take anywhere from 5 to 20 minutes depending on the size of the baking compartments. Remove immediately from the pans and allow to cool. Sometimes gentle use of a spoon will be necessary to release the puddings from the pan.

Note – Olive oil (instead of butter or margarine) can also be used, though the finishedproduct will be more roll-like (less puffed) than the original recipe.

10

TzimmesServes 8-10 people

12 large carrots, peeled and cut into one-inch (2.5 cm) slices2 pounds (900 grams) of sweet potatoes (or yam)

peeled and cut into one-inch (2.5 cm) dice½ pound (250 grams) chopped prunes

½ pound (250 grams) chopped dried apricots¼ cup of honey¼ tsp. cinnamon¼ tsp nutmeg

2 tsp. grated lemon rind14 ounces (400 ml) crushed canned or fresh pineapple (with juice)

2 oranges - juice3 tbsp. butter or margarine


Boil the carrots for five minutes in water, then add sweet potatoes and cook for an additional five minutes. Drain the water.

Combine potato/carrot mixture with remainder of ingredients (with the exception of the butter). Then place the mixture into a shallow baking dish. Dot the top with the butter/margarine and bake for 30 minutes. If the top is becoming too brown, cover with foil and continue to bake. Stir occasionally.

11

Potato Kugel(Based on recipe from Susie Fishbein’s, Passover by Design)Serves 12 people

Kugels are a common feature for Shabbat and festival meals. During the year noodlekugels are an especial favorite. On Pesach, per force, other kugels take center stage.

The potato kugel is often found on the Passover table. The Cranberry Pineapplekugel (on the next page) is a more recent addition to our family seder.

½ cup of vegetable oil8 medium potatoes2 medium onions

1 tbsp. fine sea salt1 tsp. ground black pepper

2 ½ tbsps. sugar5 large eggs, beaten with a whisk


Place the oil into a large 9-inch by 13-inch (23 cm by 33 cm) baking pan.

Peel the potatoes and place in a large bowl filled with ice water.

Finely chop the onions in a food processor, and place in a large bowl. Cut the potatoes into cubes and place in the food processor. Process them till they are almost smooth. Then add the potatoes to the onions. Add salt, pepper and sugar to the mixture. Add the eggs and stir until everything is well combined.

Place the baking pan with the oil into the oven. When the oil sizzles, carefully remove it from the oven and spoon some of it on top of the potato mixture. Carefullymake sure the pan is well oiled. Then pour all the potato mixture into the pan. Bake for 1 hour.

Note: To make this kugel more interesting 6 to 8 cloves of garlic can be processed along with the potatoes. You can also add 2 to 3 tbsp. of chicken soup to the potatoes after they are processed. Schmaltz can also be used in place of the oil.

12

Cranberry Pineapple Kugel(Based on recipe from Susie Fishbein’s, Passover by Design)Serves 10-12 people

Non-stick cooking spray

Cranberry Base:4 cups matzah farfel (or roughly broken, almond size or smaller, pieces of matzah)

1/3 cup of sugar1 tsp. cinnamon

16-ounces (450 grams) whole berry cranberry sauce (homemade or canned)2/3 cup of vegetable oil¼ cup of orange juice

Pineapple Topping:4 large eggs, lightly beaten

½ cup of sugar½ cup of vegetable oil½ cup potato starch

20 ounces (565 grams) of crushed and drained pineapple (canned or fresh)


Heavily grease a 10-inch (25 cm) springform pan (with cooking spray)

To make the cranberry base: place the farfel into a strainer and thoroughly wet the farfel with running water. Then drain the farfel (to remove the excess liquid). Mix the farfel with the sugar, cinnamon, cranberry sauce, oil and juice. Press the mixture into the bottom of the spring form pan.

To make the pineapple topping: in a medium bowl whisk the eggs and sugar. Add the potato starch, oil and pineapple and mix well. Pour the pineapple topping over the cranberry base in the springform pan.

Bake for 50 minutes, the topping should be firm and its edges slightly browned. Run a knife around the pan to loosen the kugel before unmolding.

NOTE: If the pan is too full it may run over. Place a pan or foil on the bottom of the oven to catch any runover. When I make cranberry sauce I use the recipe on the bag, but I add a dash of nutmeg, and lemon and orange zest. I also replace half the water used with orange juice.

13

Matzah Chocolate Caramel Buttercrunch(Based on a recipe by A. Marcy Goldman, BetterBaking.com)serves 10 - 15 people

3-6 sheets of matzah1 cup of unsalted butter or margarine

1 cup of light brown sugar or 2 cups of white sugar (see note)1 cup of chocolate chips, or chopped semi-sweet chocolate (the better the chocolate

the better the taste)Flaked salt (optional)

Preheat the oven to 175 C. Line a rimmed cookie sheet with foil and then parchment (or wax paper) on top of the foil. Both are necessary as the caramel can be very sticky. Line the cookie sheet with sheets of matzah covering all the space (the number of matzah sheets depends on the size of the cookie sheet). Break the matzah as necessary to cover the sheet as evenly as possible.

Combine the brown sugar (or the white sugar mixture discussed in the note) with the butter or margarine in a medium sized sauce pan. Cook on medium heat till the sugarand butter dissolve together and the combined mixture comes to a boil. Continue cooking for an additional 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from the heat and pour the mixture over the matzah.

Bake for 15 minutes, watching periodically to ensure that the mixture doesn’t burn. Remove from the oven and sprinkle to matzah with the chocolate chips. Let sit for 5 minutes, then spread the chocolate over the matzah. While the matzah is still warm cut the sheets into squares or into irregular shapes. If desired add the salt at this time.Chill in a refrigerator for about an hour, the matzah then can easily be removed from the cookie sheet.

Note: White chocolate can be substituted or mixed with the semi-sweet chocolate. Nuts and flaked coconut also make nice additions.

14

Frozen Strawberry (Fruit) Meringue (Parve Ice-cream) (Based on a recipe from Kosher California)Serves 12-15 people

2 egg whites (room temperature)1 cup sugar

2 cups sliced fresh strawberries (or other fresh berries)1 tbsp. lemon juice

Combine all the ingredients in the large bowl of an electric mixer. Beat on low speed until well blended. Slowly increase the speed to high and beat until stiff peaks form (about 10 to 15 minutes). Cover and freeze until firm (about 6 hours). The meringue may be frozen up to three weeks, and served directly from the freezer.

Passover Brownies(Based on a recipe from Norene Gilletz, Pleasures of Your Processor)Makes around 25 squares

4 eggs1 ½ cup sugar2/3 cup vegetable oil½ cup cocoa1 cup matzah cake meal1 tbsp. potato starch1 tbsp. orange juice¾ cup of chopped walnuts (optional) ¾ cup of chocolate chips (optional)¾ cup of coconut (optional)¾ cup small Passover marshmallows (optional)


In the food processor beat eggs, sugar and oil until light (about 1 minute). Add everything else with the exception of the nuts (or other optional ingredients). Processfor 20 seconds or until smooth. Add one or a mix of the optional ingredients if wanted. Process with quick on off turns just until mixed.

Pour into a greased 9-inch by 13-inch (23 cm by 33 cm) baking dish. Bake for 25 minutes. Cool and cut into squares.

Note: If walnuts are added, coarsely chop them separately before adding to the brownie batter.

15

Almond Cake with Cardamom(Based on a recipe by Joan Nathan, NY Times)Serves 10-12 people

½ cup vegetable oil7 large eggs, separated

1 cup sugar1 tbsp. almond extract

4 ½ cups, plus one tbsp. of almond flour (finely ground almonds)2 tsps. of cardamom1 tbsp. of icing sugar


Oil a 9-inch round or square pan (22 cm.) and set aside. With an electric mixer whiskthe egg whites until they are stiff, but not dry. Set aside.

In a medium bowl mix the egg yolks with sugar and whisk to blend. Whisk in the almond extract and the oil. Add the almond flour and cardamom. Gently stir in 1/3 of the egg whites, and then fold in the remaining egg whites until they are just incorporated.

Pour the batter into a pan. Bake for about 50 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes, remove from the pan and allow to cool on rack. After it is cool dust the top with the icing sugar.

Notes: Joan Nathan suggests sprinkling the top with chopped pistachio nuts. I have decorated the top with melted semi-sweet chocolate (before adding the icing sugar). Ihave also replaced the almond extract with either Cointreau or vanilla. Both work well with this cake, adding an additional layer to the taste.

16

Chocolate and Olive Oil Mousse(Based on a recipe by Joan Nathan, NY Times)Serves 8 - 10 people

These last two desserts were featured in the New York Times many years ago as partof an article examining the traditional foods of medieval Spanish and PortugueseJews. Sephardim often replaced milk and butter with olive oil, the unexpected

ingredient in both of these recipes.

11 ounces of semi-sweet chocolate8 large eggs, separated¾ cup of sugar½ cup of extra-virgin olive oil2 tbsp. of brandy, or other sweet liquor

Melt the chocolate in a double boiler over a low hear, and cool slightly. Beat the egg yolks with ½ cup of sugar until light. Whisk the chocolate, brandy, and olive oil into the yolk mixture.

Using an electric mixer, beat the egg whites on high speed until soft peaks have formed. Add in the remaining ¼ cup of sugar and beat the whites until they are stiff but not dry.

Fold the whites into the chocolate mixture until no white streaks remain. Spoon into 8-10 dishes – any can be used, but wine glasses are very elegant. Cover dishes with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 24 hours before serving.

Note: I have used Cointreau or Triple Sec (not for Passover) with the recipe. If you can’t find brandy, sweet kosher for Passover wine can be substituted.

17

Orange-Coconut Flan(Based on a recipe by Joan Nathan, NY Times)Serves 8 - 10 people

3 cups granulated sugar8 large egg yolks

4 large eggs1 tbsp. grated orange zest

¾ cup orange juice – fresh squeezed is best1 cup of flaked coconut


In a medium saucepan, combine 1 cup of sugar with ¼ cup of water. Stir until completely dissolved. Place pan over medium heat and stir constantly until the syrup begins to bubble. Continue to cook the syrup until it is uniformly golden brown, brushing down any crystals that form on the side of the pan with a brush dipped in cold water. Occasionally rotate the pan to mix the syrup. Pour the syrup into an 8-inch cake pan or flan mold. Make sure to spread it evenly along the bottom of the pan. Set aside to cool.

In a medium saucepan, mix two cups of sugar with one cup of water. Bring pan to boil on medium heat and boil for 4 minutes. Remove and set aside until it is lukewarm.

Whisk together the egg yolks and the four whole eggs until blended, then pour the eggs through a fine mesh strainer into a bowl. Add the orange zest, juice and coconut. Whisk in the syrup. Pour the mixture into the flan pan, filling to just below the rim. Cover the mold tightly with foil.

Place the mold into a larger pan and pour hot water into the larger pan reaching half way up the flan mold. Bake for at least 1 hour (it often takes even more time). It is done when an inserted knife comes out clean.

Allow the flan to cool, then refrigerate for at least 2 hours before removing it from the pan. Just before serving place the base of the flan pan in a pan of hot water. Invert on plate and remove the pan. Serve immediately.

Note: Joan Nathan uses finely ground almonds rather than coconut.

18

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