Tag: pesach

Passover Made Easy Cookbook Review & Giveaway

There is so much I love about this cookbook that I don’t quite know where to start! So I’ll start at the beginning.

When you first set your eyes on Passover Made Easy, you’ll be struck by it’s beautiful design and styling. Rachel Adler did an impressive job laying out this cookbook with brilliant coloring, masterful layout, and gorgeous typography. I am literally blown away.

Aside from the graphics, the photographs and styling are also impeccable. As a blogger who photographs and styles her dishes, I can tell you firsthand that many, if not most, of the dishes in this cookbook are extremely difficult to photograph. And so many Pesach recipes lack eye-appeal. But not only have the dishes been masterfully plated, the authors also include many step-by-step plating guides to help you serve the dishes as beautifully as they are pictured.

Passover Made Easy is the brainchild of an unlikely pairing – Leah Schapira, the author of Fresh & Easy Kosher Cooking and co-founder of CookKosher.com, as well as Victoria Dwek, the managing editor of Whisk Magazine. Leah is Ashkenazi, with Hungarian roots, while Victoria is Sephardi, with Syrian roots. How an Ashkenazi and a Sephardi came together to write a successful Passover cookbook is nothing short of a Pesach miracle. Leah and Victoria each offer their own unique perspective, striking the perfect balance of grebroks and non-gebroks recipes. The authors guide you along page after page in a playful and friendly manner. You almost feel as if you’re hanging out with them in the kitchen. Victoria shares her recipes for Syrian Charoset, tortillas, Matzaroni and Cheese, as well as many non-grebroks dishes. Leah offers up unique and tasty dishes like Meatballs in Blueberry Sauce, Roasted Tomato & Eggplant Soup, Apple-Jam Chicken Drumettes, and so much more.

Some of the other features that I enjoyed from this cookbook are the wine pairings and building block recipes like mayo, crepes, and Passover crumbs. There is also a nifty replacement index that helps guide those who avoid using processed ingredients and peels on Pesach. While the guide is helpful, I wish there were a few more recipes suited for the more stringent among us (me included!)

While I am unable to make most of these recipes on Passover, I look forward to trying many recipes throughout the year including the Mock Techineh (for my brother who is allergic to sesame seeds!), Butternut Squash Salad with Sugar ‘n Spice Nuts, Braised Short Ribs, Jalapeno-Lime & Ginger Salmon, Stuffed Onions, Vegetable Lo Mein (for my dieting days!), Espresso Macaroons with Chocolate-Hazelnut Cream, and Truffled Grapes.

Busy In Brooklyn is giving a copy of Passover Made Easy! To enter the giveaway, you must:

1. Share you favorite Passover memory in the comments below.
2. Like Busy In Brooklyn on Facebook.

Winner will be chosen at random on Monday, March 18th, 9:00 AM.

BONUS RECIPES FROM PASSOVER MADE EASY:

Eggplant Wrapped Chicken

Ingredients:

Eggplant
1 tall eggplant
1/2 cup oil
1/4 tsp salt
pinch coarse black pepper

Meat Mixture
3 tbsp oil
1 onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 lb. ground meat
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp garlic powder

Chicken
6 boneless skinless chicken thighs
1/4 tsp salt
pinch coarse black pepper

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to broil. Grease a baking sheet. Cut eggplants lengthwise, 1/4″ thick to get 6 or 7 slices. Reserve remaining eggplant scraps. Place eggplant slices on prepared baking sheet. Brush slices with oil and season with salt and pepper. Broil 5 minutes per side, until second side is beginning to brown. The slices should appear as if they were fried. Remove and set aside.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
3. Peel and finely dice remaining eggplant to obtain 1/2 cup diced eggplant. Heat oil a in a saute pan over medium heat. Add onion, garlic and diced eggplant and saute until soft, about 5-7 minutes.
4. In a small bowl, combine onion mixture with ground meat. Season with salt and garlic powder.
5. Season chicken thighs with salt and pepper Place a tabslepoon of the meat mixture into each thigh and roll up to lose. Roll a eggplant slice around each stuffed chicken thigh. Place, seam side down and close together, in a baking pan. Cover and bake for 2 1/2 hours.

 


Homemade Mayonnaise

Ingredients:

3 garlic cloves or 1/4 onion
juice of 1 1/2 lemons
2 eggs
1/2 tsp salt
1 pinch black pepper
3 cups oil

Instructions:

1. In a bowl of a food processor or in a blender, blend garlic, lemon juice and eggs.
2. With the machine running, slowly pour in the oil in a thin stream.
3. Blend until thoroughly combined and mayonnaise is emulsified. Do no over-mix. When the mayonnaise is thick and holds together, it’s done. Store in refrigerator for up to one week.

The immersion blender method:

Add oil to a tall jar (you can use the one that comes with the blender). Add garlic, lemon juice, eggs, salt and pepper. Insert the immersion blender and blend, without moving the blender, for 2 minutes. When the mixture begins to thicken, move the immersion blender up and down until mayonnaise is emulsified.

 

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The No-Potato Passover Cookbook Review & Giveaway


The concept of a Passover without potatoes has been a long time in coming. I’m so glad that Aviva Kanoff has embraced it in her cookbook, The No-Potato Passover. Aviva takes us on a journey of food, travel and color, allowing us to think outside the spud with her internationally-inspired menus. Her recipes span the globe, from Jamaica to Morocco, Croatia to Hungary, and so many places in between. As an avid traveler, Ms. Kanoff takes us along on her travels through colorful pictures and unique recipes that are great for Pesach and all year long. With recipes like pesto chicken “pasta” and eggplant “lasagna” and desserts like chocolate chip biscotti and hazelnut cream cookies, you’ll almost forget you’re on the Passover diet!

Instead of the traditional carb-laden Pesach fare we are used to having, The No-Potato Passover cookbook focuses on healthy options, making use of quinoa, spaghetti squash, parsnips and other creative ingredients to give you original dishes that you will relish and enjoy. While Aviva’s recipes leave me truly inspired, I am personally unable to make most of them on Pesach due to my family’s dietary customs. Still, I look forward to making some of dishes throughout the year, including her heirloom tomato salad with honey basil vinaigrette, roasted garlic soup with flanken, stuffed zucchini blossoms, southwestern sweet ‘n spicy meatballs, strawberry glazed chicken, salmon croquettes with wild mushroom sauce, and coconut cream pie in a macaroon crust.

While The No-Potato Passover Cookbook is filled with colorful & vibrant imagery, I don’t feel that the design is up to par with today’s sophisticated & modern cookbooks. That aside, I think the recipes are truly unique and delicious. Many make use of hard-to-find Passover ingredients (like imitation soy sauce or mustard), however, they are easily adaptable during the year using readily-available ingredients.

The No-Potato Passover cookbook is the winner of The Gourmand Award for the Best Jewish Cuisine in 2012. It has been newly revised and edited just in time for Passover 2013.

As my Passover gift to you, Busy In Brooklyn is giving away a free copy of The No-Potato Passover Cookbook! To enter the giveaway, you must:

1. Share you favorite Passover recipe in the comments below.
2. Follow Busy In Brooklyn on Facebook.

Winner will be chosen at random on Wednesday, March 13th at 10:00 PM.

FREE SAMPLE RECIPES FROM THE NO-POTATO PASSOVER COOKBOOK:

POACHED PEACH & CHICKEN SALAD
reprinted with permission from THE NO-POTATO PASSOVER by Aviva Kanoff
(February 2013, Hardcover, $29.99)

Ingredients:

¾ cup balsamic vinegar
2 sprigs fresh thyme
Kosher salt & ground black pepper
2 peaches (12 oz. total), halved & pitted
4½ tsp. olive oil
4 cups baby greens

Chicken:
1 lb. chicken breasts
1 tsp. salt
1½ tsp. paprika
1⁄8 tsp. garlic powder
1⁄8 tsp. onion powder
2 tbsp. honey
2 tbsp. olive oil
2 tsp. cumin
2 tsp. rosemary
salt & pepper

Directions:

1. Prepare a medium gas or charcoal grill fire. (Note: If you don’t have a grill, you can cook the chicken in a sauté pan in its marinade.)
2. Combine vinegar and thyme in a 2-quart saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat.
3. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook until the mixture is thick, syrupy, and reduced to ¼ cup, about 6-9 minutes.
4. Cook peaches in the syrup for 2 minutes until soft. Remove from the heat, discard the thyme sprigs, and season with a pinch of salt and a few grinds of black pepper.
5. Season chicken and grill or sauté in a pan until cooked.
6. In a medium bowl, toss the baby greens with the remaining 2½ tsp. oil and season to taste with salt and pepper. Arrange on a platter.
7. Top with the chicken and peaches. Drizzle with about 2 tbsp. of the reduced balsamic, adding more to taste. Season to taste with salt, pepper, and remaining juice from chicken and peaches.

Tip: Substitute chicken with 1/4 cup feta cheese for a dairy meal.

CABBAGE SOUP WITH MATZOH MEATBALLS
reprinted with permission from THE NO-POTATO PASSOVER by Aviva Kanoff
(February 2013, Hardcover, $29.99)

Ingredients:

1 large onion, diced
4 garlic cloves, chopped
5 tbsp. canola oil
1 tbsp. sugar
4 tomatoes, diced
1 large green cabbage, chopped
8 cups chicken stock
1 tbsp. honey
2 cups tomato sauce

Matzo Meatballs:
½ cup matzo meal
½ lb. ground beef
3 eggs
salt and pepper
1 tbsp. oregano
1 tsp. cumin

Directions:

1. Sauté onion and garlic in canola oil until brown.
2. Add sugar and caramelize.
3. Add remaining ingredients and bring to a boil.
4. Let boil for 30 minutes and then simmer.
5. While the soup is boiling, mix all ingredients for the matzo meatballs.
6. Form into balls, then add the matzo meatballs to the boiling soup. Cook for 20 minutes.

Related Recipes:

spinach matzo ball minestrone soup

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Spaghetti Squash Baked Ziti

This may come as a surprise to you, but Pesach doesn’t have to be all about chicken and potatoes. Or meat and potatoes. Or steak and potatoes. If you try and think outside the Passover matza box, you’ll find that there are lots of other healthy options available to cut through the 8 day food-fest. Spaghetti squash is a great example. You can use it in place of pasta in lots of different preparations.

My simple baked ziti recipe is a staple in our house. My kids absolutely love it, so I usually make it every Thursday night for dinner. I often prepare this healthier version for my husband and I, substituting spaghetti squash for the pasta. It might not taste like the real thing, but it’s still an easy, quick and low-carb meal that makes you feel like you’re not entirely missing out. This dish would work wonderfully for Pesach chol hamoed dinner. Add in roasted veggies like zucchini, eggplant or mushrooms for added flavor and nutrients.

Other spaghetti squash recipes:

spaghetti squash bolognese
spaghetti squash with leeks, spinach and mushrooms

Spaghetti Squash Baked Ziti

1 spaghetti squash, roasted (see how to prepare spaghetti squash)
1/2-1 jar marinara sauce
1/2-1 12oz. container cottage cheese
1 8 oz. bag mozzerella cheese, divided
4 oz. cheddar cheese

Method:

Add spaghetti strands to a large bowl and mix in marinara sauce and cottage cheese. For a larger squash, use more sauce and cheese, and for a smaller squash use less. Mix in 1/2 bag of mozzarella cheese.  Pour mixture into a greased 9×13 pan. Sprinkle remaining mozzarella and cheddar cheese over the top. Bake at 400 degrees until the cheese melts and begins to brown around the edges.

1 year ago: pizza omelette
2 years ago: lemon & garlic whole roasted chickens

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Roasted Beet & Orange Salad

This salad is delicious and refreshing, and a nice change from the typical shredded beets or vinaigrette made on Pesach. It is usually made using mixed greens (bitter ones work best) but if you don’t use them on Pesach, it can be made without as well.

Beets have a delicious robust flavor when roasted. Many people boil their beets in water, but that releases the flavor into the water. When you roast the beets, the flavor just intensifies (this is true for boiling vs roasting all vegetables).

For a nice presentation, you can use both red and golden beets (just roast and cut them separately because the red ones will bleed), and serve them sliced on a bed of greens. Top it off with regular and/or blood oranges.

Roasted Beet & Orange Salad

3 medium beets
3 medium oranges segmented (do this over a bowl to catch the juices, which you can add to the dressing)
1/2 cup thinly slice red onion
bitter greens such as arugula, mesclun or radicchio
3 tbsp walnut oil
2 tbsp orange juice
1 tbsp lemon juice (or vinegar, if you use during pesach)
pinch of sugar
1/2 tsp salt
pepper, to taste (if you use during pesach)

How to:

Wash beets well and dry. Wrap in foil. Roast at 400 degrees for 1-2 hours (depending on the size of the beets, check with a fork, if they are soft enough for you to pierce easily, they are done).  Leave the beets to cool. When they are done cooling, the peel can be easily removed using your hands. They just slide off. If you’d like, you can use a paring knife. I like to do this with gloves over an aluminum pan, because it can be quite messy (and your hands will definitely turn purple if you don’t)! Slice beets. Segment oranges. Arrange on top of mixed greens, or alone. Garnish with red onion and drizzle over with dressing.

Alternatively, you can shred roasted beets in the food processor, or by hand, using a grater. Dress with oil, lemon juice and salt.

Another popular beet dish uses potatoes, carrots and beets, all cooked and cubed. Mix with oil, lemon juice, sugar and salt and some thinly sliced red onion.

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Mock Chopped Liver

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With only one week to go until Pesach, it’s about that time to stop pushing off the inevitable…cooking (or at least planning the menu)! Thankfully, I have not yet made Pesach, and I don’t plan on it, as long as my mother, or in-laws will have me! A lot of people I talk to seem to feel the same, but there are definitely those who are of the opinion that Pesach food is delicious and exciting. Pesach is a yom tov that is so grounded in tradition. The whole idea of the hagaddah is “Vehegadita LeVincha,” passing on the torch to our children. To me, food is so much a part of that. Think about your childhood and so many of your memories will revolve around the smells and tastes of your mothers cooking. If you think back to a certain chag, it’s the traditional family recipes that transport you back to that special time. So for me, Pesach food isn’t about how gourmet it is, or looking for that new recipe. It’s simply about making the foods that my mother made, and those that my children, after me, will continue to make. And for generations, those same delicious smells will continue to waft through our homes, carrying on our traditions for eternity.

One of the recipes that my mother has always made is vegetarian chopped liver. To me, it’s like Pesach on a spoon! Eating it just transports me. She would whip up a few containers on erev yom tov, and we’d eat it alongside the fish at each meal. We could never shmear it on the matza, so we’d eat a spoonful of the liver and promptly follow it with a bite of matza.

Mock Chopped Liver
adapted from the Spice & Spirit Kosher for Passover Cookbook

1 onion, sliced into half circles
6 hard-boiled eggs, quartered
1 cup chopped walnuts
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 tbsp sugar or  3 tbsp liquid sugar
oil or shmaltz, for frying

How to:

Saute onion until golden. Put eggs, walnuts and onions (including the oil it was sauteed in), salt and sugar in the food processor. Process until smooth.

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