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Passover Seder, 2011

We host our family for lots of holidays — Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, Rosh Hashana, Thanksgiving, sometimes Hanukkah, and lots of birthdays — but we have never hosted a seder for Passover. As much as I enjoyed this holiday growing up, it is not one I’ve ever wanted to be responsible for as an adult with my own home. I am more than happy to cook and bring food to whatever family member is gracious enough to host, however!

I made my Apple & Almond Torte again this year, but I added the zest of one lemon to the batter, and doubled the amount of lemon juice the recipe called for. I found that my 16 oz. bag of ground almond flour was just a bit more than the 3+ cups needed, so I used the full pound. I also baked it for slightly longer, and I think all of those changes made it a more flavorful and structural sound cake.

I also made Crispy Smashed Roasted Potatoes, though I roasted mine in the initial cooking instead of boiling them. These are easy to make ahead, so they’d be good for any festive meal you have planned. Cook and smash the potatoes the night before; then drizzle with olive oil and salt and bake again 30 minutes before serving. Lots of compliments on this side dish.

Honey Spiced Chicken has become a go-to recipe for me. It’s easy, a little out of the ordinary, and easy to prepare. Since this chicken was being served along side another main dish, I chose to use chicken breasts cut into strips. I thought they’d be easy to serve for a large group, and the small size would let people get a taste of everything on the table.

With this seder done, I’m taking a break from cooking while the boys are on spring break from school. I’ll be back with a meal plan on Sunday, April 24.

4 Comments April 18, 2011

Apple & Almond Torte

This recipe comes from an article in the Washington Post, which reprinted Nigella Lawson’s Damp Apple and Almond Cake. I followed the recipe exactly except that I used olive oil to grease the pan rather than canola oil. Many Jews do not consider canola oil kosher for Passover, as it falls under the category of kitniyot.

Because this recipe uses almond flour as its base rather than cake or matzah meal, it doesn’t taste like a typical Passover cake, and that’s a good thing. This is a very easy recipe to make, though it tested the capacity of my Cuisinart, the user manual of which recommends only about 4 cups of liquid batter be processed at a time. I went over that recommendation, and barely made everything fit.

I’d recommend letting the cake cool for a half hour before releasing the springform pan (the recipes says 10 minutes). Also, make sure to run a knife around the edge of the pan before you remove it — I had a small issue with the edges falling away from the cake. Overall it held together nicely, though.

I found the flavor of this cake less intense than I expected. I would have liked to taste more almond, and I wonder if grinding the almonds myself (or toasting them first?) would have accomplished this. (I used Bob’s Red Mill Almond Meal/Flour, which I found at Mrs. Green’s, our local Whole Foods-type market.)

Despite the absence of chocolate in this recipe, it went over well at our seder and those who liked it did not agree with my assessment of it being a little bland. I would make it again, for Passover or if I needed a gluten-free dessert.

Isn’t the single slice pretty, sitting on my mom’s Passover dishes? (more…)

3 Comments April 10, 2009

Passover Recipes, Past and Future

Friends have been talking about doing a recipe swap for Passover, so I thought I’d gather the recipes I made last year all in one spot. Here’s what I posted for Passover 2008:

• Inca Red Quinoa with Roasted Vegetables & Swiss Chard: Delicious and beautiful, I’d make this again.

• Cauliflower Kugel: Homey and easy.

• Quinoa Pudding: Came out grassy-tasting, but I’d be willing to give it another shot.

• Passover Rolls: My mom’s recipe, and a staple for the boys. Like a baked matzah ball.

• Passover Stuffed Peppers: Based on J.’s grandpa’s recipe, a hearty veggie side or as a main meal.

• Passover Viennese Crunch Marble Cake: Just a doctored cake mix, but yummy none the less.

Selected recipes I’ve made at other times that would also be good for the holiday:

• Quinoa with Mushrooms & Onions: A riff on traditional mushrooms & barley.

• Lemon-Roasted Chicken: Use bone-in pieces or cutlets, this is easy and delicious.

• Chicken Soup: Based on GG’s recipe, this is a classic Jewish chicken soup.

• Poppy’s Borscht: But no black bread during Passover!

And finally, here are two recipes I know I’ll be trying this year for the first time:

• Damp Apple and Almond Cake: I’ll make this for the second seder — it uses almond flour instead of wheat.

• Savory Noodle Kugel: Using Pesadich noodles, which should be decent as an ingredient if not as a bowl of pasta.

If you have favorite recipes, please share them in the comments or via email!

4 Comments March 25, 2009