OU Introduces New Passover Recipes for 2009

On Passover, most people can expect to munch on matzah in endless variations: matzah sandwiches, matzah pizza, and matzah lasagna. However, for those who want a little variety, inventive, creative recipes that don’t focus on matzah can be found on the Passover website of the Orthodox Union, www.oupassover.org.

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 United States and Canada and writes weekly columns for the Chicago Jewish News, kosher.com and the OU Shabbat Shalom Web site. 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.

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

PEAR COMPOTE (pareve)

Zest of 1 lemon, slivered
Zest of 1 orange, slivered
2 cinnamon sticks
1 tablespoon whole cloves
2 cups sugar
4 cups water
4 Bosc or Bartlett pears; peeled, cored and quartered
1 cup golden seedless raisins
1 cup pitted prunes
1 cup peeled, pitted and halved fresh apricots or 2/3 cup dried

In large heavy saucepan combine the lemon and orange zests, cinnamon, cloves, sugar and water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat simmer and add pears, raisins, prunes and apricots. Cooked, covered until the pears are just cooked but still firm, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove the cinnamon sticks and cloves. Serve warm or chill and serve cold.

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MUSHROOM CRUST QUICHE (dairy)

5 tablespoons butter
1/2 pound mushrooms, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup finely crushed matzo
3/4 cup chopped green onions
2 cups shredded Cheddar
1 cup cottage cheese
3 eggs
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon paprika
Preheat oven to 350. Melt 3 tablespoons butter in skillet over medium heat. Sauté mushrooms until tender. Remove from heat. Stir in the matzo. When the mixture is cool press it into bottom and sides of greased 9" pie plate.

Melt remaining 2 tablespoons butter in skillet. Add and sauté green onions quickly. Spread the green onions over crust and then sprinkle the cheese on top of the onions. In blender or food processor, combine the cottage cheese, eggs, and cayenne pepper. Blend well. Pour the egg mixture into the mushroom crust. Sprinkle the top with paprika. Bake 35 to 45 minutes or until done. Let stand about 10 minutes before serving. Serves 6.

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PESACH PORTABELLO PIZZA (dairy)

5 ounces frozen chopped spinach
1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1 teaspoon dried basil, crushed
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
12 portabella mushrooms (3 to 4 in diameter)
2 medium tomatoes, diced
2 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted
salt
Mozzarella cheese
Parmesan cheese


Preheat oven to 350. Thaw spinach and press out liquid. In a bowl combine the spinach, cheese, basil, and pepper. Clean the mushrooms and remove the stems. Place mushroom caps top side down on a lightly greased cookie sheet, brush them with butter or margarine. Spoon about 2 tablespoons of spinach mixture into each cap. Sprinkle with the diced tomatoes and salt. Sprinkle the top with mozzarella and/or Parmesan cheese to taste. Bake for 12 minutes or till heated through or place on the unheated rack of a broiler pan. Broil 4 inches from the heat for 3 to 4 minutes. Cut into quarters and serve. Makes 12.

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HONEY AND PECAN CRUSTED CHICKEN (meat)

1 16-oz jar Pesach duck sauce
1 cup dried apricots, chopped
1/2 cup honey
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon paprika
2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 1/2 cups matzo meal
3/4 cups chopped pecans
6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, pounded flat to an even thickness


Combine the duck sauce with the chopped apricots in a bowl. Let sit for at least an hour. Preheat oven to 400. Lightly spray a cooking sheet with nonstick cooking spray. In a medium bowl, combine the honey, salt, pepper, paprika, and garlic powder. Whisk to combine. In a shallow dish, combine the matzo meal with pecans. Brush the chicken cutlets with the honey mixture and then dredge in the pecan mixture. Place in a single layer in the prepared pan; spray the tops with cooking spray. Bake for 20 minutes. Serve the chicken with the apricot sauce. Serves 6.

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CROCK POT CHICKEN ITALIANO (meat)

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 package of white button mushrooms
1/3 to 1/2 cup Pesach Italian dressing
1 can diced Italian style tomatoes (do not drain)
Red Pepper Flake (use a little or a lot depending on ho spicy you like things)


Arrange chicken breasts in single layer on bottom of crock pot. Chop mushrooms into quarters and place over chicken. Pour Italian dressing and tomatoes (including juice) over chicken and mushrooms. Crush red pepper flake in hands and then sprinkle over. Put lid on crock pot and turn to low. Cook 6 to 8 hours depending on thickness of chicken breast. Serves 4.

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SAVORY CARROT AND APPLE CASSEROLE (dairy or pareve)

1 lb carrots, peeled, cut into sticks

2 large white onions, sliced into wedges
5 tablespoons butter or margarine
3 large apples, cored, thinly sliced into rings
1 teaspoon thyme (optional)
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 cup matzo meal

Preheat oven to 350. Grease a 2 quart casserole dish. Steam carrots in boiling salted water until tender-crisp. Set aside. In a skillet saute the onions in the butter until golden. In the prepared dish, layer the carrots, onions and apples. Sprinkle with thyme. Drizzle with lemon juice. Melt the remaining butter and then mix in matzo meal. Sprinkle the matzo meal mixture over vegetable mixture. Bake degrees for 15 minutes or until vegetables are heated through and the topping golden brown. Serves 4. This recipe can be doubled or tripled.

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BERRIES BRULEE (dairy)

4 cups frozen mixed berries, fresh berries or frozen peaches
cinnamon
1/3 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup brown sugar
4 to 6 oven proof small bowls or ramekins

Place a cup of frozen berries in each dish and sprinkle generously with cinnamon. Allow to thaw overnight, or leave out for an hour or so. Turn on broiler. Mix the sour cream and vanilla. Adjust vanilla to taste. Put a dollop of the sour cream mixture on each of the ramekins of berries. Sprinkle brown sugar generously on top of each ramekin. Place on a shallow baking dish or broiler pan on second shelf under the broiler and watch carefully until the brown sugar melts and starts to brown. Take the pan out and let cool enough to place at the table. Serve warm. Serves 4 to 6.

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PESACH CARROT CAKE (pareve)

1 1/4 cups oil
2 cups sugar
1 3/4 cups matzo cake meal
1/4 cup potato starch
2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
4 cups grated carrots (about 1 lb.)
1 cup chopped walnuts
1 cup white or golden raisins
5 eggs separated

Preheat oven to 350. Oil a 10" bunt tube pan. Into a very large mixing bowl, mix oil and sugar; mix well with a wooden spoon. Add cake meal, potato starch, cinnamon, nutmeg, carrots, walnuts, raisins and egg yolks. Stir to mix well. In the bowl of an electric mixer beat the egg whites until stiff and then fold them into the batter. Gently mix until all white traces disappear. Pour the batter into the bunt tube pan. Bake 60 to 70 minutes or until a toothpick placed into the cake comes out clean. Cool upright in pan on wire rack. Remove from pan and frost if desired.

Dairy frosting: Cream 1 8-oz. pkg. cream cheese with 1 stick sweet butter, until fluffy. Add 3 tablespoons honey and beat well. If frosting is too soft to spread, chill about a half-hour.

Pareve topping. Brush the top of the cake with warm honey and sprinkle with chopped walnuts.