A new twist on a Passover staple.  It's so good that you will want to serve it year round!

Ingredients

6 eggs
1 cup of milk
1 ½ - 2 cups of Matzolah
Vegetable oil

Directions

Beat eggs, mix in milk, add Matzolah, mix thoroughly, and let stand for 30 minutes. It should be a medium to medium-thin batter.
Heat about ½ inch vegetable oil in fry pan.
Place enough of mixture to spread to about 3 inches each. Fry one side, carefully turn with spatula (with a gentle helper spatula on top), Fry to golden brown.
Serve immediately and keep extras warm in 200 degree oven.

Notes

Serve with choices of applesauce, assorted jam, maple syrup, yogurt, etc. Leftover Matzolah Pancakes are great reheated in microwave or oven. These are very light in texture and the best matzo pancakes. Yummmmm.

Makes approximately twelve 3" pancakes
Recipe: Passover friendly, Dairy, Breakfast

                                                     Photo: About.com

by Chef Laura Frankel, ChefLaurasKosher.com

All right the dish is a bit of a potschke, but it is complexly flavored, amazingly delicious and satisfying. This do-ahead dish is perfect for lunch after synagogue or a weeknight supper.

Ingredients:

For the sauce:
Extra virgin olive oil
2 red onions, sliced thinly
3 zucchini, sliced into ¼ inch thick half moons
6 garlic cloves, minced
¼ cup tomato paste
1 28-ounce can plum tomatoes and their juices
3 red peppers, roasted, seeded, peeled and sliced
1/2 cup coarsely grated carrots
1/2 cup raisins
1 teaspoon cinnamon
Pinch of crushed red chili flakes (optional)
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

For the eggplant:
3 large eggplants, cut into ½ thick slices lengthwise
2 cups potato starch, divided
6 egg whites
2 cups matzo meal
¼ cup chopped parsley
2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme
2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
Kosher salt and freshly cracked pepper
Extra virgin olive oil

For the béchamel:
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons finely chopped shallot or onion (optional)
2 tablespoons potato starch
2 cups milk
Kosher Salt and freshly cracked black pepper

1 cup parmesan cheese

Directions:

Make the sauce: Heat a large sauce pan, lightly coated with olive oil, over medium-high heat. Sauté the onions until golden brown and very fragrant. Be sure to season the onions with salt and pepper.

Add the zucchini and continue cooking until the zucchini has softened and is light golden brown. Season the zucchini with salt and pepper.

Add the garlic and continue cooking for another 2 minutes or until the garlic is very fragrant and is slightly softened.

Add the remaining ingredients for the sauce and reduce the heat to medium low and simmer for 20 minutes. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.

Prepare the eggplant: Place the eggplant on a baking sheet and season each eggplant with salt and pepper.

Place 1 cup potato starch on a large sheet of parchment paper.

Place the remaining cup of potato starch and matzo meal on another sheet of parchment paper. Add the herbs to the potato starch and matzo meal mix.

Whisk the egg whites with 3 tablespoons of water and place the egg whites in a shallow large bowl.

Heat a large sauté pan. With 1 ½ inches of olive oil, over medium heat. Dredge a piece of eggplant in the potato starch, then the egg whites and finally the herbed matzo meal.

Place the eggplant in the sauté pan and cook on each side until brown and crispy. Transfer the eggplant slices to a paper towel lined sheet pan.

Prepare the béchamel: Heat the oil over medium heat in a heavy medium saucepan. Add the shallot or onion, and cook, stirring, until softened, about three minutes.

Stir in flour, and cook, stirring, for about three minutes until smooth and bubbling but not browned. The paste should have the texture of wet sand.

Whisk in the milk all at once, and bring to a simmer, whisking all the while, until the mixture begins to thicken. Turn the heat to very low, and simmer, stirring often with a whisk and scraping the bottom and edges of the pan with a rubber spatula, for 10 minutes, until the sauce has thickened and lost its raw flour taste.

Season with salt and pepper. Strain while hot into a heatproof bowl.

Assemble the dish: Preheat oven to 350.

Place eggplant slices in the bottom of an 11 X 15−pan. Generously dollop 1/2 tomato sauce over the eggplant. Layer 1/2 of the béchamel sauce over the tomato sauce. Add 1 more layer of eggplant, tomato sauce, béchamel sauce and finally sprinkle the parmesan cheese over the top.

Bake for 45 minutes until the mixture is bubbly and the cheese has lightly browned.

Allow the Moussaka to sit for at least 15 minutes before slicing and serving.

Notes:

Yields: Serves a crowd

Recipes: Passover, Casserole, Eggplant, Dairy, Kosher

                                         Photo: Radishes and Rhubard.com

by Chef Laura Frankel, ChefLaurasKosher.com

Bubbly, delicious and nary a drop of matzo in sight! This crowd pleasing casserole is a snap to prepare. During the holiday, I want to spend more time with family and less time in the kitchen. This do-ahead dish is filling and can be assembled ahead of time, kept in the refrigerator while you do something else and then popped into the oven to be heated through.

I have modernized the recipe by replacing the mashed potatoes with garlicky parsnip and cauliflower puree. The vegetables make a creamy and delicious puree with the added benefit of having your decadent creamy mash and eating your veggies too.

Ingredients:

Topping:
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 pounds cauliflower, cut into florets, stem trimmed and diced
1 pound parsnips, peeled and diced
1 cup chicken stock (homemade or purchased)
Kosher salt and freshly cracked pepper

For the filling:
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
2 carrots, peeled and diced small
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 pounds ground chuck
2 tablespoons potato starch
1 cup mushrooms, sautéed
2 teaspoons tomato paste
1 cup chicken broth
1 teaspoon freshly chopped thyme leaves
Kosher salt and freshly cracked pepper

Directions:

Make the topping: Place a medium sauté pan, lightly coated with the olive oil, over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook until the garlic has softened slightly (about 2 minutes).

Add the cauliflower, parsnips and chicken stock. Cover and cook until the vegetables are very tender and most of the liquid has been absorbed (about 20-30 minutes).

Transfer the vegetables to a food processor and pulse until the vegetables are a thick puree. Season with salt and pepper.

Make the filling: Heat a large sauté pan, lightly coated with the olive oil over medium high heat. Add the onion and carrots and sauté just until they begin to take on color, approximately 3 to 4 minutes. Add the garlic and stir to combine. Add the ground chuck, salt and pepper and cook until browned and cooked through, approximately 3 minutes.

Sprinkle the meat with the potato starch and toss to coat, continuing to cook for another minute. Add the tomato paste, chicken broth, thyme, and stir to combine. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer slowly 10 to 12 minutes or until the sauce is thickened slightly.

Add the mushrooms to the meat mixture and spread evenly into an 11 by 15-inch baking dish or divide into individual ramekins. Top with the cauliflower and parsnip puree. Be sure to press the vegetable puree around the edges to keep the meat juices from bubbling over the top. Drizzle the top with olive oil and plenty of cracked pepper.

Place on a parchment lined half sheet pan on the middle rack of the oven and bake for 25 minutes or just until the vegetable puree begins to brown. Remove from the oven and let stand to cool for 15 minutes before serving.

Notes:

Yield: serves a crowd

Recipes: Passover, Meat, Shepherd's Pie, Kosher

By Guest Columnist Chef Laura Frankel

Every day I like to feel as if I have learned something new. Kitchens are exciting places and food flavors and combinations are infinite.

This year, as I wrote these recipes, I decided to take a fresh look at matzo and matzo products. I have a love–hate relationship with matzo. We are truly Frenemies! I love it because I am proud of our heritage and we truly OWN matzo as a symbol and piece of history. I hate the stuff for its commercial taste and lack of nutrition. I avoid it and do not eat it except for the small amount required at the Seders.

But, I decided that I would play with matzo and see where it led me. These recipes are for family Passover dishes, specifically Chol hamoed. I think these are the days when creativity and diligence are needed to keep meals interesting and the family excited to gather together.

The Seders take care of themselves with family recipes passed down through generations. Once the flurry of activity dies down from the Seders, meals are hard to make and it is hard to duplicate the elegance of the Seder table and to keep excitement up. Passover should inspire memories and I hope these dishes become requested family favorites for years to come.

Shepherd’s Pie is bubbly, delicious and nary a drop of matzo in sight! This crowd pleasing casserole is a snap to prepare.

During the holiday, I want to spend more time with family and less time in the kitchen. This do-ahead dish is filling and can be assembled ahead of time, kept in the refrigerator while you do something else and then popped into the oven to be heated through.

I have modernized the recipe by replacing the mashed potatoes with garlicky parsnip and cauliflower puree. The vegetables make a creamy and delicious puree with the added benefit of having your decadent creamy mash and eating your veggies too.

Moussaka − All right this dish is a bit of a potschke , but it is complexly flavored, amazingly delicious and satisfying. This do-ahead dish is perfect for lunch after synagogue or a weeknight supper.

Chocolate Cinnamon Crumb Cake − My husband, who is also a chef, and must have his cake and eat it too, even during Passover, created this recipe. He sprang it on me with no warning and certainly not during the chag. He knows all too well of my dislike for matzo and all dishes matzo related.

I requested another piece and he triumphantly produced the slice and then announced what the cake really was. I ate the cake but first had to take my foot out of my mouth!

About the Author:

Laura Frankel is the Executive Chef at Wolfgang Puck Kosher Catering at the Spertus Institute for Jewish Studies in Chicago. She is the author of Jewish Cooking For All Seasons and Jewish Slow Cooker Recipes. Frankel is an avid farmer’s market supporter, giving demos and teaching classes all over the country featuring market produce. Frankel is the former chef and founder of the Shallots restaurants. She has training and extensive experience in both savory and pastry kitchens and has run restaurants in Chicago and New York. Before committing herself to her culinary passion, she played and taught both alto and baritone saxophones professionally. ChefLaurasKosher.com

March 18, 2013

In celebration of Passover, our popular series, Cooking with the Stars returns.  We are gathered around the Passover table, sharing favorite family recipes from some guest culinary stars. Some of these recipes are beloved heirlooms; some are updated treasures,  several are new and contemporary. All are truly delicious!

We thank our culinary Stars for sharing their cherished family food jewels, and wish them all a happy, kosher Passover!

The KosherEye Passover HOTLINE is open for your questions through March 24th. Our stars are standing by, ready to answer!

Ronnie Fein − Khoshaf
Ronnie's recipe fits the criteria - easy, fresh, healthy, and delicious. Khoshaf is a fruit compote, uncooked, and her recipe is based on similar dishes she tasted during a trip to Egypt. Ronnie Fein is a food writer, cookbook author and director of the Ronnie Fein School of Creative Cooking in Stamford, CT. She writes regular features for MediaNews-Hearst newspapers and her articles have appeared in many other newspapers and magazines; her latest cookbook is Hip Kosher.
KitchenVignettes

Susie Fishbein − Shepherd's Pie
Susie is the author extraordinaire of the bestselling Kosher by Design cookbook series with over 400,000 copies sold worldwide. In 2008 she was included on the Forward 50 as one of the 50 most influential Jews and has been a guest on dozens of network TV and radio shows. She is an everyday cook who loves to share her passion for cooking and entertaining with friends and family. Susie is sharing the ultimate comfort food recipe, Shepherd's Pie - "It’s right out of my childhood. This recipe is perfect for leftover  mashed potatoes, leftover chopped meat, leftover vegetables."  Her newest cookbook is Kosher by Design Cooking Coach.
KosherbyDesign.com, author of Kosher by Design cookbook series

Laura Frankel – Chocolate Cinnamon Crumb
You would never know that this cake is for Passover and one of the ingredients is matzo farfel.  Laura is the Executive Chef at Wolfgang Puck Kosher Catering at the Spertus Institute for Jewish Studies in Chicago. She is the author of Jewish Cooking For All Seasons and Jewish Slow Cooker Recipes. Frankel is an avid farmer’s market supporter, giving demos and teaching classes all over the country featuring market produce. Frankel is the former chef and founder of the Shallots restaurants. She has training and extensive experience in both savory and pastry kitchens and has run restaurants in Chicago and New York. Before committing herself to her culinary passion, she played and taught both alto and baritone saxophones professionally.
ChefLaurasKosher.com

Leah Hadad −  Vegetarian Butternut Squash Matzah Ball Soup
Leah shares her original recipe for matzah ball soup for the ‘underprivileged vegetarian.’  Her recipe combines  traditional Yemenite spices with old fashioned chicken soup - without  the chicken. Leah is Founder & President of Tribes-A-Dozen. She resides with her family in Washington, D.C, where she also practiced as an attorney at law before founding Tribes. A self–taught baker and cook, she delights friends and family at gatherings and dinner parties with her traditional recipes skillfully and lovingly adapted for the modern day home cook. She believes that baking bread is a spiritual experience that defines our humanity.
TribesADozen.com/Blog

June Hersh − Matzo Meat Cakes plus Video Demonstration of the Recipe
June grew up with Sephardic food influence and remembers how important it was to include her great grandmother's version of these Matzo Meat Cakes at their Passover table. June is a former teacher, passionate home cook and cookbook author. Her first book Recipes Remembered: A Celebration of Survival, was written in association with the Museum of Jewish Heritage. and features the remarkable stories and cherished recipes of Holocaust survivors.  The museum benefits from ALL proceeds. June recently appeared on QVC introducing  a new softcover edition of this book and sold over 4,000 in just a few minutes. Her second book, The Kosher Carnivore, is the ultimate meat and poultry cookbook for the “kosher clueless to the kosher committed”. Proceeds from this book benefit MAZON: A Jewish Response to Hunger.
JuneHersh.com

Lévana Kirschenbaum − Lamb Shanks with Artichokes and Mushrooms 
Lévana's Passover recipe for Lamb Shanks is " Lean, tender, low maintenance, and best of all, very well priced! And I love their rustic, unpretentious look making your homemade dish look homemade!" For many years, Lévana Kirschenbaum was co-owner of  Lévana Restaurant on Manhattan’s Upper West Side, and was a pioneer in Kosher upscale dining. She is a cooking teacher and cookbook author, the diva of glorious simple healthy meals. She has published Lévana’s Table: Kosher Cooking for Everyone, Lévana Cooks Dairy-Free!, and a book-DVD set based on her demo series called In Short Order, on cooking great meals in no time, in style and in good health. She has recently published The Whole Foods Kosher Kitchen: Glorious Meals Pure and Simple.
LevanaCooks.com

Gloria Kobrin − Flourless Chocolate Cake with Apricot Filling
Gloria's recipe for flourless chocolate cake is so delicious that you will want to make it all year round. Her secret to this marvelous Passover treat is to replace the flour with ground pecans.  Gloria − married 40 years, mother of two, grandmother of two − has cooked her whole life for groups ranging from four to 100. Gloria specializes in creating delicious gourmet food that is approachable to the home cook and that happens to be Kosher. Author of the Kosher Cookbook App for iPhone and iPad, Gloria shares her recipes and cooking tips on her Kosher Cookbook page on Facebook and Twitter.
KosherCookbook.Blogspot.com

Helen Nash − Tomato & Bell Pepper Soup with Basil Garnish
Helen's soup recipe is ideal for Passover because it can be prepared in advance. The soup has a beautiful orange color and a slightly spicy taste, and it is equally good hot or room temperature.  Helen Nash was born into an old rabbinical family in Cracow, Poland.  In New York City, where she has spent most of her life, she studied with world-famous cooks Michael Field, Marcella Hazan, Lydie Marshall, and Millie Chan. An accomplished lecturer and teacher, she has given demonstrations at New York University, Yeshiva University, and the legendary De Gustibus cooking school at Macy’s, as well as at numerous synagogues and Jewish community centers. Her newest book is Helen Nash's New Kosher Cuisine.
HelenNashsNewKosherCuisine.com

Joan Nathan – Salade Juive
Moroccan Confit of Tomatoes & Peppers with Coriander
Joan serves salade juive all year round - using fresh tomatoes in the summer and canned tomatoes the rest of the year.Joan considers food through the lenses of history, culture, and tradition. She regularly contributes to The New York Times, Food Arts Magazine, and Tablet Magazine and is the author of ten award-winning cookbooks. Her most recent book is Quiches, Kugels, and Couscous: My Search for Jewish Cooking in France, which was named one of the 10 best cookbooks of 2010 by NPR, Food and Wine, and Bon Appétit magazines. In 1994, Nathan's Jewish Cooking in America won both the James Beard Award and the IACP/Julia Child Cookbook of the Year Award. Eleven years later, these awards were bestowed upon her 2005 cookbook The New American Cooking.
JoanNathan.com

Shoshana Ohriner − Lemon Raspberry Tart
This tart is the perfect end to a heavy Seder meal − sweet, tart and refreshing. With all the intense chocolate desserts that are common on Passover this tart is the perfect change of pace. Rabbi Shoshana Ohriner is the creator and author of the popular blog Couldn't Be Parve, specializing in naturally delicious dairy-free desserts. Her recipes have been published in a variety of publications and websites, including the Jewish Week and Kosher.com. She has a love of baking and a passion for confectionary arts and feels " Whatever the reasons a person may have for avoiding dairy, I truly believe that no one should have to sacrifice good taste to achieve those goals, especially when it comes to dessert." Shoshana lives in California with her husband and two sons.
CouldntBeParve.com   

Pam Reiss − Hazelnut Pear Salad and Spinach and Zucchini Soup
Pam's recipes for soup and salad are both colorful and delicious and if you use vegetable stock in the soup recipe, this is a great vegetarian alternative to chicken soup and matzo balls. Pam grow up in the family catering business and earned a degree in Hotel, Restaurant and Institutional Management. After completing her degree, she returned to Winnipeg and the family business, Desserts Plus. It didn't take long for her to start testing and trying out new recipes and she quickly combined her interest in creating recipes with her love of writing to create Soup - A Kosher Collection - her first kosher cookbook. Her second book, Passover - A Kosher Collection was published in January 2010 and the second edition of the Canadian bestseller Soup – A Kosher Collection was published in September, 2011.
PamelaReiss.com.

Leah Schapira and Victoria Dwek − Potato-Chip Zucchini Sticks with Lemon-Mayo Dipping Sauce
This talented duo combined forces to create their just released new cookbook Passover Made Easy and the recipe they are sharing with us "was the first side dish recipe we developed for our just released cookbook."

Leah Schapira is the co-founder of CookKosher.com, a popular online kosher recipe exchange, and the author of the bestselling Fresh & Easy Kosher Cooking. A self-taught cook, Leah expresses her love of cooking through her food articles, her busy website, and her exciting cooking demos and classes. Passover Made Easy is Leah's second release with ArtScroll/Shaar Press.Leah resides in New Jersey with her husband and family.

Victoria Dwek is the managing editor of Whisk, a popular kosher food magazine published weekly by Ami Magazine. She made her cookbook debut with Passover Made Easy, co-authored with Leah Schapira. Her feature articles take readers behind the scenes to learn from chefs and other professionals in the kosher food world. An experienced journalist and avid hostess, Victoria's work combines her passions for good food and good writing. She lives in Deal, New Jersey with her husband and children.

Tina Wasserman – Passover Migas and Double Coconut Chocolate Coconut Macaroons
Tina's recipe for Passover Migas is from her next book Entrée to Judaism for the Family – it will be a guide to how to continue the conversations about our heritage between children and parents and grandparents. Tina is the author of  the bestselling Entree to Judaism: A Culinary Exploration of the Jewish Diaspora published by the URJPress. She is trained in education and nutrition and has shared her love and understanding of cooking and Jewish culinary history to audiences in synagogues, community centers and organizations throughout North America and Europe, and in her own cooking school as well.  She is also the founding food columnist for Reform Judaism Magazine. Her election in 1994 to Les Dames d’Escoffier, an International Culinary Society that honors women in the food and beverage industry, recognized her reputation as o­ne of a handful of outstanding women in the country specializing in Jewish historical cuisine.
CookingandMore.com

March 11, 2013

Passover Ketchup
By Seth Belkin

KosherEye.com reader Seth Belkin's "Perfect Passover Ketchup"

Ingredients

One 6-ounce can tomato paste
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup water
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder

Directions

Combine all ingredients in a medium saucepan over medium heat.
Whisk until smooth.
When mixture comes to a boil, reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 20 minutes, stirring often.
Remove pan from heat and cover until cool. Chill and store in a sealed container.

Notes:

Makes 1 1/2 cups

Recipe: Kosher, Passover.

by Chef Laura Frankel, ChefLaurasKosher.com

My husband, Dennis Wasko, who is also a chef, and must have his cake and eat it too, even during Passover, created this recipe. He sprang it on me with no warning and certainly not during the chag. He knows all too well of my dislike for matzo and all dishes matzo related.

I requested another piece and he triumphantly produced the slice and then announced what the cake really was. I ate the cake but first had to take my foot out of my mouth!

Ingredients:

Topping:
1 cup sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 vanilla bean
3/4 cup matzo farfel
1/2 cup melted chocolate (We only use 70% Schmerling’s Bittersweet Chocolate-with so few ingredients, get the good stuff. You will notice the flavor!)

Cake:
2 eggs
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 vanilla bean
1 cup matzo cake meal
1/4 cup potato starch
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup boiling water

Directions:

Make the topping: Combine topping ingredients, and mix thoroughly to make sure the chocolate generously coats the matzo.  Set aside.

Make the cake: In a mixer with a whisk attachment, whip the eggs with the sugar until the sugar has dissolved and the mixture forms a ribbon. Slowly drizzle in the olive oil to form an emulsion (this will ensure a tender cake that is not greasy or heavy).

Mix the dry ingredients in a separate bowl and alternate adding them into the egg mixture with the water.

Allow the cake batter to sit for a few minutes before spreading ½ of the batter into a greased and lined spring form pan. Add ½ of the topping to the batter, spread the rest of the batter in the pan and finish with topping.

Bake 350 for 25 - 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Notes:

Recipes: Passover, Cakes, Chocolate, Parve, Kosher

                                            Photo: Glenn Koenig

By Eileen Goltz, CuisinebyEileen.com
From a recipe submitted by Roger Mauers Chicago IL and modified

This is a delicious dish – comfort food. Lamb shanks are not very tender and  require slow, long  braising. The gravy from this dish calls out for mashed potatoes. To reduce the fat, refrigerate overnight, scrape off the congealed fat, and reheat before serving.

Ingredients:

4 (1 pound each) bone-in lamb shanks, trimmed
1/4 cup oil, divided
Kosher salt
Ground black pepper
1/2 cup finely diced onion
2 large Portobello mushrooms, diced
2 tablespoons minced garlic
3/4 cup dry red wine
2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano or 2 1/2 teaspoons dried (or more to taste)
1 1/2 cups (8 ounces) diced plum tomatoes with the juice
3 cups beef broth
2 tablespoons potato starch plus 1 to 2 tablespoons cold water to make a paste (you can use cornstarch after Pesach)
2 bay leaves

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350. In a large bowl coat the lamb shanks with 1 tablespoon oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Toss to coat.

Heat the oil in a large skillet. Add the lamb shanks one at a time making sure not to crowd them. Brown each shanks on all sides, then place them in a Dutch oven that has a tight fitting lid (you can use a crock pot). Pour off most of the fat from the pan but leave just enough to brown the vegetables, about 1 to 2 tablespoons. Add the onion and mushroom and cook, stirring occasionally, for 4 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring constantly for 1 minute. Add the red wine, bring the mixture to a boil then immediately reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the oregano, tomatoes with juice and broth. Mix to combine then add the potato (or corn) starch mixture.

Bring the mixture to a boil just until it thickens and then immediately remove it from the heat. Pour the sauce over the lamb shanks in the Dutch oven or crock pot. Add the bay leaves and cover. Cook for 1 hour, then reduce the heat to 300 degrees and cook for 45 minutes. Test to see if the lamb is tender. You may need to cook for an additional 15 to 30 minutes. If you’re making this in a crock pot you should cook at high for 2 1/2 to 3 hours or low for 5 to 6 hours.

Season with salt and pepper and serve.

Notes:

Yield: Serves 4

Recipes: Passover, Meat, Lamb Shanks, Kosher

                                       Photo: Taste of Home.com

By Eileen Goltz, CuisinebyEileen.com,

This is a nice change from the usual stuffed pepper filling – ground meat. These recipe uses salmon, marinara sauce, and mozzarella cheese.

Ingredients:

4 green, red or orange bell peppers
2 tablespoons oil
1 onion, diced
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 1/2 lbs salmon, bite size pieces
1 cup farfel
2 teaspoons oregano
1 to 1 1/2 cup marinara sauce
1 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375. Lightly grease a 13 x 9–inch baking pan. Cut the tops off peppers and scoop out the seeds and ribs. Place peppers in prepared pan.

In a skillet heat the oil and sauté the salmon, onion and garlic, sautéing 3 minutes or until onions are translucent. Place mixture into a bowl. Combine onion mixture with farfel, marinara sauce, 1 cup cheese, salt and pepper.

Divide mixture evenly into prepared peppers. Cover the pan with aluminum foil. Bake for 35 to 45 minutes or until peppers are tender but not falling apart. Remove them from oven and sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup cheese on top of the peppers and return to the oven for 3 to 4 minutes or until the cheese is melted.

Notes:

Yield: Serves 4

Recipes: Passover, Fish, Dairy, Stuffed Peppers, Kosher

                  Photo: Epicurious.com

By Eileen Goltz, CuisinebyEileen.com, Modified from Gourmet November 2002

This is a great recipe for onion lovers. Onions are a staple in most kitchens;  they are diced, sliced, chopped, minced − you name it − and are a basic ingredient in most recipes. But in this recipe, they are a stand-alone star – they are stuffed and baked and totally delicious!

Ingredients:

10 medium red onions
1 lb sliced pastrami or turkey pastrami cut into bite sized pieces
3 stalks of celery cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 lb baby spinach, trimmed and coarsely chopped (4 cups)
1 1/2 cup matzo farfel
2 cups salted cashews coarsely chopped
1 stick margarine, melted
1 1/4 cups chicken or vegetable broth

Directions:

Make onion shells:
Cut a 1/2-inch-thick slice from tops of onions, discarding tops, and trim just enough from bottoms for onions to stand upright. Scoop out all but outer 2 or 3 layers from each using a small ice cream scoop or spoon (don't worry if you make a hole in the bottom), reserving scooped-out onion and onion shells separately.

Make stuffing: Coarsely chop enough scooped-out onion to measure 3 cups.

Cook  pastrami  in 2 batches in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderate heat, stirring, until crisp, about 5 minutes, then transfer with a slotted spoon to paper towels to drain, reserving about 1/3 cup fat in skillet.  Add chopped onion, celery, salt, and pepper to skillet and sauté over moderately high heat, stirring, until vegetables are softened, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and sauté, stirring, 1 minute. Transfer mixture to a large bowl and stir in spinach, cashews, farfel, 1 cup broth, and pastrami, and then cool completely.

Roast onions: Preheat oven to 425. Arrange onion shells, open sides up, in a 13X9 baking pan, then add 1/2 cup water and cover pan tightly with foil. Roast onions in middle of oven until tender but not falling apart, 25 to 30 minutes.

Reduce oven temperature to 350. Transfer shells to a work surface and pour off water in pan. Fill shells with stuffing, mounding it, and return to pan. Reserve 5 to 7 cups stuffing for turkey cavity, then put remaining stuffing in a buttered shallow 3 1/2-quart baking dish and drizzle with remaining 1/4 cup stock. Bake stuffed onions and stuffing in dish in middle of oven, uncovered, until heated through, about 25 minutes.

Notes:

Yield: Makes 10

Cooks' notes: Stuffing can be prepared and onions can be stuffed 1 day ahead and chilled, covered. Bring stuffed onions to room temperature before baking.

Recipes: Passover, Side Dishes, Onions, Stuffed, Meat, Kosher