Passover Recipes
- 6 medium Gala or Fuji apples, peeled, cored, and finely diced*
- 2 cups walnut halves, lightly toasted, cooled, and coarsely chopped
- 1/2 cup sweet Kosher red wine or red grape juice**
- 1/4 cup honey (more or less as desired)
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
- Dash of nutmeg (optional)
- Dash of clove (optional)
In a large bowl, stir together all ingredients. Store, covered, at room temperature until ready to serve.
* ‘Charoset’ means ‘mortar’. For the evenest texture, we recommend dicing the apples by hand. However, to save time, they can be chopped in the food processor — just be careful not to over process. It should not be the consistency of applesauce.
**Crimson Cabernet by Banrock Station can be found at Countdown
The mixture will turn brown, which is just how it should be.
1 tablespoon per guest will suffice. This mixture will make approximately 8 cups of Charoset, enough for 100 people.
Adapted from Noah and Rae Bernamoff | The Mile End Cookbook | Clarkson Potter, 2012
- 4 1/2 cups sifted all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more for sprinkling
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 3/4 cup plus up to 1/2 cup warm water
Preheat the oven to 260°C. Place a pizza stone or a 10-by-15-inch baking sheet on the bottom oven rack.
In a large bowl, mix together all the ingredients, using 3/4 cup water, until everything comes together to form a dough. If the dough seems dry, add a little more water, a few drops at a time. If you do not need the matzoh to be kosher for Passover, let the dough rest for 10 to 15 minutes. If you do need the matzoh to be kosher for Passover, proceed immediately to the next step so that you can attempt to finish everything in 18 minutes.
Divide the dough into 8 pieces. Roll the dough as thinly as possible with a rolling pin on a lightly floured surface. Repeat with the remaining dough pieces.
Trim the rolled-out dough pieces into rectangles. (How many pieces of matzoh you get depends on how thinly you rolled the dough.) Use a fork to prick holes in the surface of the dough in rows to make stripes. lf salted matzoh is desired, brush or spray the dough surface lightly with water and sprinkle with salt to taste.
Carefully place some of the rectangles onto the pizza stone or baking sheet. They should fit snugly but should not touch. Bake until the surface of the matzoh is golden brown and bubbly, 30 to 90 seconds. Using tongs, carefully flip the matzah pieces and continue to bake until the other side is golden browned and lightly blistered, 15 to 30 seconds. Keep careful and constant watch to keep the matzoh from burning; the exact baking time will vary from oven to oven and will get longer with subsequent batches. You want to let the matzoh get a few dots of light brown but don’t let the matzoh turn completely brown or it will taste burnt.
Let it cool before serving. Keep it in an airtight container or resealable plastic bag at room temperature for up to 2 days.
You can’t play golf with them…you can’t play tennis, and you certainly can’t go bowling with them…or at least you’re not supposed to! Matzo balls (pronounced mat-zah, not mat-zoe), a traditional Passover delicacy, are supposed to be so light and fluffy that, although they are served as an appetizer, they almost float away before the meal.
- 1 cup Matzo Meal (or Matzo Ball Mix)
- 4 eggs
- 4 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 2 teaspoons salt
- garlic powder to taste
- onion powder to taste
- 1/4 cup sparkling water
- 3 litres chicken stock
Of course, you start with matzo meal: you can buy it, you can make your own by running pieces of matzo through a food processor until they make a fine flour, or you can do it my way: pick up a package of Manischewitz Matzo Ball Mix!
In a small bowl, lightly beat eggs together with vegetable oil. Blend in matzo meal, salt, and a bit of garlic and onion powder to taste. Then add THE SECRET INGREDIENT: 1/4 cup of sparkling water (don’t tell, but the bubbles are what make the matzo balls so light!).
Now it’s time for a nap. No, not for you – for the matzo balls! The mixture needs to rest, covered, in the refrigerator for 15 minutes. YOU still have more work to do! While the matzo ball mixture is resting, bring about 3 quarts of chicken soup or stock to a brisk boil.
Now wet your hands and begin to form the matzo ball mix into 1-inch balls…but it’s really important that you don’t squeeze them! Remember, the key word is light and fluffy, so go gentle on them! You should have about 16 or so matzo balls – don’t worry if you have a few more or less.
Reduce the heat and drop the matzo balls one by one into the boiling soup. Cover the pot tightly and cook for about 30 minutes. Serve them nice and hot, two or three per person. Between the bubbles in the club soda and your gentle, loving touch in forming them, I guarantee that you’ll have the lightest and fluffiest matzo balls on the block. Enjoy!
Made from scratch hummus is delicious and worth the effort. Start at least a day ahead. This can be made a day or two in advance. It also freezes well. Just thaw and heat very gently on the stovetop, stirring continually.
- 500 gm dried chickpeas
- 1 cup light olive oil
- 1 cup raw, light-colored (hulled)* tahini (stirred)
- ½ cup fresh lemon juice (8-12 small lemons)
- 2 ½ teaspoons salt (or to taste)
- 4 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 2 teaspoons honey or sugar
- 3 medium cloves garlic, peeled or 1 Tbsp. minced garlic
- ½ teaspoon Tabasco or other crushed red pepper sauce (optional)
- 180 ml broth or water (or more as desired to make the hummus smooth)
- pine nuts (optional)
- olive oil
- paprika
* Hulled tahini is made with hulled sesame seeds. It has a lighter texture and flavour. It can be found at Mediterranean markets in New Zealand.
Soak chickpeas overnight, or boil for 2 minutes, remove from heat, and soak for 1 hour. Drain.
Put chickpeas in a 4-quart pot and cover generously with water. Add 1 teaspoon oil, baking soda or drinking soda. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook, covered, until chickpeas are very tender and soft (mushy is fine), about 3-5 hours. Drain. Return to pot and cover with cool water. Gently massage chickpeas until most of the skins come off. Remove at least some of the skins. If you skip this step put in more spice and blend longer.
Squeeze lemons for juice or purchase fresh lemon juice.
In a food processor put the oil, tahini, juice, salt, cumin, coriander, sugar, garlic, hot sauce, and broth or water; purée until very smooth. Add the chickpeas while the machine is running (about 6 ¼ cups of cooked chickpeas.) Continue to purée, adding liquid as necessary, until airy in consistency, about 5-10 minutes.
After a few minutes, taste and adjust seasoning.
Transfer hummus to a serving dish and make a moat. Top with pine nuts, drizzle with more oil and sprinkle with salt and paprika. Serve with matzah crackers for Passover.
If you’re invited to a Passover Seder this year, you’ll be the favourite guest if you bring along a batch or two of these light and fabulous coconut macaroons, kosher for Passover! They’re super-easy to make!
- 2 egg whites
- 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt
- 2/3 cup sugar
- 1 1/3 cup coconut flakes
All you do is beat the egg whites, vanilla and salt until soft peaks form. Then VERY SLOWLY sprinkle in the sugar, just a little at a time, and then gently fold in the coconut with a spatula. That’s it! Now drop spoonfuls onto a greased cookie sheet and bake in a preheated oven at 180°C for 20 minutes. Makes about 2 dozen. Enjoy!
What’s a meal without dessert? Every Jewish mother loves the excitement that follows when dessert is finally revealed – but on Passover, we need to be a little more creative. These chocolate macaroons (sort of like cookies only better!), one of my special recipes, are sure to bring smiles to your Passover table!
- 3 egg whites
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/3 cup cocoa powder (unsweetened)
- 2 cups shredded coconut (unsweetened)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Just a pinch of salt
First mix the sugar and cocoa together. Then in a separate bowl, beat the egg whites (adding the pinch of salt) until stiff peaks begin to form. Slowly sprinkle the sugar and cocoa mixture, and blend into the egg whites. Then fold in the coconut and vanilla extract. That’s it! Now line a baking sheet with parchment paper, and drop the mixture by spoonfuls about an inch apart. Bake them for 15-20 minutes at 350°F, and then share a few! Makes about 3-4 dozen.
- 5 matza sheets
- 1 cup (225 gm) unsalted butter
- 1 cup packed dark brown sugar
- 1 cup (175 gm) cooking chocolate dark chips
- 1 cup (175 gm) white chocolate drops
- 1/2 Tbsp vegetable oil or liquid coconut oil
- 3/4 cup chopped pecans
Preheat the oven to 180°C. Line a baking sheet with baking paper.
Arrange matza in one layer on the baking sheet. Break matza into smaller pieces to fill the pan completely. Set aside.
In a saucepan, melt the butter and brown sugar over medium heat, stirring constantly. Once this mixture reaches a boil, cook for a few more minutes, until the mixture thickens and starts to pull away from the sides of the pan. Remove from heat.
Pour the butter and sugar mixture over the matza, gently spreading it with a spatula to cover it with an even layer.
Put matza in the oven and turn the heat down to 175°C. Bake for 15 minutes, checking every so often to make sure it doesn’t burn. Turn heat down to 160°C if it looks like it’s burning.
After 15 minutes, the butter and sugar mixture will have bubbled up and turned golden brown. Remove from the oven. Sprinkle matza immediately with the semisweet chocolate chips. Let sit for 5 minutes to melt.
After the chocolate chips have melted, spread them evenly over the toffee with a spatula. Let cool for another 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, microwave the white chocolate chips and oil in a bowl for 30 seconds*. Remove from the microwave and stir with a fork. Then, microwave for another 30 seconds and stir again, until the mixture is smooth and thoroughly melted. Microwave for another 30 seconds if needed.
With a fork, drizzle the white chocolate over the matza. Top with chopped nuts, and let cool. When the chocolate has hardened, break into smaller pieces, and serve!
*Microwave cooking time may vary. You just need the mixture to be smooth and melted.