Passover Recipes
Gefilte Fish Appetizer
- 2 pounds whitefish
- 1 1/2 teaspoons pepper
- 2 pounds pike
- 3 eggs
- 2 pounds carp
- 3/4 cup ice water
- 4 large onions
- 1/2 teaspoon sugar
- 2 quarts water
- 3 tablespoons matzah meal
- 4 tsp. salt
- 3 carrots, sliced in 1/4" rounds
Fillet the fish (or have the dealer fillet it for you), reserving the head, skin and bones. Combine the head, skin and bones with 3 sliced onions, 2 quarts water, 2 teaspoons salt and 3/4 teaspoon pepper. Bring to a rapid boil, lower heat slightly and keep boiling while preparing fish.
Grind or chop fish and remaining onion finely in a food processor or by hand. Add the 3 eggs, ice water, sugar, matzah meal and remaining salt and pepper. Continue processing until very fine. Moisten hands: shape mixture into slightly flattened loaves approximately 3" long. 2" wide and 1" high. Carefully drop loaves into fish stock. Add carrots, cover loosely and cook over low heat 1 1/2 hours. Remove cover for last 1/2 hour. Cool fish slightly before removing to platter. Strain the stock over the fish and arrange cooked carrots around it. Chill. Serve with horseradish (comes in jars). Serves 12.
Chicken Soup
- 4 pounds chicken parts
- 3 1/4 quarts water
- 3 onions, peeled
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 chicken bouillon cubes
- 1 1/4 tablespoons salt
- 2 carrots, peeled
- 1 tablespoon dried parsley
- 1 teaspoon dried dill
Place chicken parts, onions and water in an 8-quart pot. Bring to a boil, lower heat and simmer for 2-3 hours, skimming foam off top as necessary. Add remaining ingredients EXCEPT dried dill and parsley: cover and simmer for 1-2 more hours. (If desired, soup can be strained at this point.) Add dill and parsley and cook for 15 minutes more. Refrigerate overnight. Skim off fat before reheating next day. Serve with knaidlach (recipe following) Makes approximately 10 servings.
Knaidlach (Matzah Balls)
- 6 eggs, separated
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon pepper
- 1 cup matzah meal
- 2 tablespoons chicken fat or margarine, melted
Beat egg whites until stiff. Beat egg yolks in separate bowl until light. Add salt, pepper and melted fat to beaten yolks; fold gently into egg whites. Fold in matzah meal one spoonful at a time. Refrigerate for at least one hour. Moisten hands and form batter into walnut-sized balls. Drop into rapidly boiling soup or water. Reduce heat and cook slowly, covered. for 30 minutes. Serves 12.
Fat-free Knaidlach
- 1/3 cup club soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/3 cup matzah meal
- 2 eggs, separated
- 1/3 cup matzah meal
- 1 tablespoon dried parsley
Combine first three ingredients: form into a smooth paste and refrigerate for 1 hour. Add the egg yolks, matzah meal and parsley. Beat egg whites until stiff (but not dry) and fold into mixture. Chill 2 hours in refrigerator. Form into walnut-sized balls and drop into rapidly boiling water or chicken soup. Reduce heat and cook slowly, covered, for 30 minutes. Makes 24 small knaidlach, enough for 6 servings.
Charoseth
- 2 tart apples
- 1/2 cup walnuts
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 1 tablespoon sweet Passover wine
Core apples (it is not necessary to peel them). Chop apples and walnuts together in food processor blender or by hand until finely chopped (the size of grape nuts) With a wooden spoon, stir in the cinnamon, honey and wine until well blended. Will serve 10-12 people. Serving is 1 teaspoon to 1 tablespoon per person on piece of matzah.
Main Dishes
Roast Lamb for Passover
Have butcher bone and roll a lamb shoulder or leg-figure on 1/2 to 3/4 pound boned and rolled lamb per person. You will need 2 cloves of garlic for every 1 pound of lamb. Slice garlic into thin slices: make holes with the point of a sharp knife in the fatty part of the lamb. Insert garlic slices into holes. Place meat thermometer in the center of the thickest part of the lamb. Roast at 325° on a rack in a shallow pan until meat thermometer reaches 175° (medium done) or 180° (well done)-about 35 - 40 minutes per pound. Slice thin.
Carrot and Sweet Potato Tzimmes
- 4 pounds beef brisket or chuck roast
- 10 large carrots
- 10 medium white potatoes
- 6 medium sweet potatoes
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1 medium onion, sliced thin
- 4 tablespoons matzah meal
- 4 tablespoons melted chicken fat or margarine
- cinnamon
Scrape and cut carrots into 2"- long pieces. Peel and cut potatoes into 1"- thick rounds. Sear the beef with the onion over high heat in a pot that is large enough to hold all the other ingredients. Turn the meat frequently until it is browned on all sides. Add carrots, potatoes, salt and sugar. Add water to cover and bring to a boil. Reduce flame and cook over low heat for 2 1/2 3 hours, until meat is tender enough to pierce with a fork. Liquid should be reduced by about half at this point; if it reduces too quickly, add a little more water. Remove onion from pot.
Pour contents into a baking pan. Saute matzah meal in melted fat; add 3 tablespoons of the tzimmes liquid to make a thickening agent. Mix the thickening agent evenly throughout the baking pan. Sprinkle a little cinnamon on top and bake at 350° for 30-40 minutes. Serves at least 12 people.
Matzah Kugel with Cheese
- 4-6 matzahs
- 4 eggs
- 1 pound cottage cheese
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup milk
- 2 teaspoons brown sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- 2 tablespoons margarine or butter
Break matzahs into 2" pieces. Mix eggs with milk and reserve 1/2 cup of mixture. Mix the rest with the cottage cheese and seasoning. Dip the matzah into the reserved egg-milk mixture. Arrange these in layers in a greased 3-quart baking dish. Dot each layer with butter or margarine and the prepared cheese. The last layer should be matzah covered with any remaining milk-egg mixture. Bake at 350° for 35-40 minutes. Serves 4 to 6.
Desserts
Almond Macaroons
- 5 egg whites
- 1 1/2 pounds confectioner's sugar
- 5 tablespoons matzah cake meal
- grated rind of one lemon
- 1 pound blanched almonds, finely ground
Beat egg whites until stiff (but not dry); add sugar a little at a time until blended in. Fold in cake meal, lemon rind and ground almonds, being careful not to break down egg whites. Drop from a teaspoon onto a foil-lined cookie sheet, leaving one inch between drops. Bake for 15-18 minutes at 300° or until lightly browned on top and bottom. Let cool: peel off foil. Makes approximately 3-3 1/2 dozen macaroons.
12 Egg Sponge Cake
- 12 eggs, separated and at room temperature
- 2 cups sugar
- juice and grated rind of one lemon
- 1/4 cup orange juice
- 1 cup matzah cake meal
- 1 cup potato starch
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Beat the egg yolks until thick; add the sugar gradually until you have a rich, thick mixture. Add lemon juice, rind and orange juice, and continue beating. Sift the matzah cake meal, potato starch and salt together three times: fold in lightly. Beat the egg whites until they stand in peaks, but make sure you stop before they look dry (very important!). Gently fold into the cake batter. Line bottom of an 8"x14" pan with waxed paper or brown paper. Pour in the batter and bake at 325° for one hour. Invert on a cake rack to cool before removing from pan.
Devotions with Emotion
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