New Recipes for Passover

Tired of the same old Passover recipes? Sick of making matzah sandwiches and snacking on stale macaroons? For those seeking to liven up their holiday fare, the Passover website of the Orthodox Union, www.oupassover.org, will once again this year offer valuable assistance to those preparing meals for the seder and the rest of the holiday by providing a large number of recipes together with other food-related features.

Throughout the year, the OU’s website and the OU’s weekly e-zine, Shabbat Shalom, offers readers recipes, food columns, and kitchen advice. As Passover approaches, these features take on a Passover slant so that those celebrating the holiday can utilize the site’s helpful hints, laws, and recipes adapted for Passover.

Eileen Goltz, author of the cookbook Perfectly Pareve, presents original recipes comprising a treasure trove of selections, including chicken, muffins, kugel, desserts, and salads. Recipes are meat, dairy or pareve (neither meat nor dairy).

Ms. Goltz is a freelance kosher food writer who was born and raised in the Chicago area. She graduated from Indiana University and the Cordon Bleu Cooking School in Paris. She lectures on various food-related topics across the U.S. and Canada and writes weekly columns for the Chicago Jewish News, kosher.com and the OU Shabbat Shalom Web site www.ou.org. She is the author of the Perfectly Pareve Cookbook (Feldheim) and is a contributing writer for the Chicken Soup for the Soul Book Group, Chicago Sun Times, Detroit Free Press and Woman’s World Magazine.

A list of ingredient substitutions by Ms. Goltz also appears in the OU Passover Guide, offering helpful hints about what to substitute for a particular recipe ingredient that isn’t kosher for Passover.

The following are some of the featured recipes that can be found on oupassover.org.



LEFTOVER CHICKEN OR TURKEY (MEAT)

“This recipe includes green olives and they give the salad an interesting tang,” says Ms. Goltz.

3/4 lb (2-3 cups) of cooked chicken meat, coarsely chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
1/2 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
4-6 green olives, pitted and minced
1/4 cup of chopped red onion
1/2 to a whole apple, cored and chopped
1/3 head of iceberg head lettuce, sliced and chopped
5 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 tablespoon plum or any berry preserves or 2 teaspoons honey
2 teaspoons fresh squeezed lemon juice
Salt and pepper to taste

In a large bowl, combine the chicken, celery, pepper, olives, onion, apple and lettuce. Toss to combine. In a small bowl, combine the mayonnaise, preserves, lemon juice, and salt and pepper. Whisk to combine. Taste to balance for sweetness. Add more preserves or lemon juice depending on your taste. Add salt and pepper to taste. Mix the dressing in with the salad ingredients.

DILLED CHICKEN OR TURKEY SALAD (MEAT)

2 cups cooked chicken or turkey cut into 1 inch cubes
4 green onions, chopped
2 tomatoes, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
3 cups chopped lettuce
1 teaspoon chopped fresh dill
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon lemon juice
salt and pepper to taste

In a bowl, combine the chicken/turkey, green onions, red pepper, tomatoes, lettuce, dill and parsley. Toss to combine. In another bowl, combine the mayonnaise, lemon juice, and salt and pepper. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss to combine.

SAVORY FARFEL AND CHEESE KUGEL (DAIRY)

“Sorta kinda like mac and cheese but totally pesadic (Kosher for Passover),” says Ms. Goltz.

1 large onion chopped
4-5 lg. eggs*
5-1/4 cup matzo farfel (9 broken matzos)
3/4 lb. cheddar cheese and/or other strongly flavored cheese, shredded
1-1/2 cup milk
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoon butter

* If watching cholesterol, use 1 whole egg and substitute 2 egg whites for each whole egg. Use 2 egg whites over the matzos, the whole egg and remaining whites in milk mixture.

Preheat oven to 350◦. Saute onion until translucent and fragrant. Grease a 9x13 baking dish. Beat 3 eggs well. Place the farfel in a large bowl. Pour the beaten eggs over the farfel. In another bowl combine the remaining egg with the milk and pepper. Beat to combine and set aside. Combine the onion with the shredded cheese(s). Layer casserole as follows: half the matzo, half the cheese/onions, remaining matzo, remaining cheese/onions. Dot top with butter. Pour milk mixture over top. Cover and bake for 30 minutes. Remove cover and bake 10-15 minutes more, to brown. Cut into squares or serve with large spoon.

SAVORY CHAROSET MATZAH KUGEL (PAREVE)

“A very different kind of kugel but very delicious,” says Ms. Goltz.

4 matzos
3 eggs, beaten
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup oil
2 tablespoons prepared white horseradish
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
2 apples, chopped
1/2 up raisins
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350◦. Grease an 8-inch square baking pan. Break matzah in pieces. Place them in a bowl and soak for five minutes and then drain. In another bowl combine the eggs, salt, honey, oil, cinnamon and horseradish. Mix and add the mixture to the matzah. Mix in the nuts, apples, and raisins. Place the mixture into the prepared baking dish and bake for 35 minutes.

ZUCCHINI AND MUSHROOM SALAD (PAREVE)

1 lb mushrooms
8 small to medium zucchini
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 sprigs fresh tarragon
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup dry white Passover wine
salt and pepper to taste

Clean the mushrooms and slice them in half. Cut the zucchini into 1 inch lengths. Place all the ingredients in a skillet and cook until the zucchini is crisp tender. Remove from heat and cover, letting sit for 10 minutes. Drain the vegetables, remove the tarragon and place them in a bowl. Refrigerate until cold. Season with salt and pepper. Can be served cold or at room temperature.

ROASTED PEPPER SALAD (PAREVE)

2 large green peppers, cut in half, seeds removed
1 red pepper, cut in half, seeds removed
1/3 cup oil
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tomatoes cut in wedges
1 small cucumber, diced
2 green onions, sliced
mixed salad greens

Preheat broiler. Place washed peppers on a broiler pan. Broil about 15 minutes close to heat, until charred, turning the peppers often. Wrap hot peppers in plastic wrap or place in a paper lunch bag and let stand 10 to 15 minutes, or until skin wrinkles and can be pulled off easily. Rub peppers gently to remove loose skin. Cut peppers into 1-inch pieces. In a medium bowl, combine oil, vinegar, garlic, oregano, and salt. Add peppers; cover and refrigerate for at least two hours, or over night. To serve, add the tomato wedges, diced cucumber, and sliced green onions. Toss lightly. Serve on mixed salad greens or lettuce leaves.

It’s not always easy cooking for Passover, but with these and other mouthwatering recipes from renowned cookbook author Eileen Goltz, participants in holiday meals will surely leave the table satisfied.

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