Pancakes

We had a major heat wave during Pesach: the kind of day when you don’t even want to step into the kitchen, let alone turn on the stove.

A fresh green salad was definitely in order for dinner, but what could we have with it that wouldn’t take hours in the kitchen?

From the refrigerator, a small container of cooked beet greens was my inspiration: PANCAKES!

Mention pancakes and most of us think of breakfast.

But vegetable pancakes are especially popular in Sephardic cuisine – spinach, chard and leek patties for example. Corn fritters are an American favorite.

Vegetable pancakes can be a good way to get children to eat vegetables, especially if you make them small and let the children eat them with their fingers.

My recipe started with about half a cup of chopped beet greens previously cooked with onion and garlic. I added an egg and about 1/3 of a cup of matzah cake meal, salt, pepper and a dash of cinnamon.

Try cooked spinach, chard, broccoli or raw grated zucchini. Add an egg or two, flour to bind the ingredients and fresh or dry herbs. Sauté in a small amount of olive oil and enjoy!

Zucchini Pancakes (Dairy)

1 ½ pounds zucchini
6 scallions, thinly sliced or ½ small onion, minced
¼ cup chopped fresh dill or 1 tablespoon dried dill
8 ounces feta cheese (I use 5% fat Bulgarian cheese)
1 teaspoon paprika
½ cup whole wheat pastry flour
3 eggs, beaten
Olive oil for frying

Grate the zucchini coarsely. (A food processor works well.) Add the scallions, dill, cheese, paprika, flour and eggs.

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet. (I use a non-stick pan.) Drop the zucchini mixture by large tablespoons and spread them out to make thin patties. Cook until crisp and brown on both sides.

Chag Kasher V'Sameach!

We’re coming down the home-stretch now. The shopping is done, the produce ordered, and except for a corner of the kitchen, the house is ready for Passover. Just a quick change of dishes, a few more leftovers in the refrigerator, kashering the stove and counter tops, and we'll be ready to go.

I’d like to be finished with my baking before our friends arrive from America on Wednesday night. Then I’ll start cooking on Thursday, hopefully before our son comes home from his army base, exhausted and hungry for “normal” food. By then, it will most likely be pizza and take-out noodles eaten in the garden.

Most of us have plenty to do during the next few days. So this will be my last Passover post.

I wish all of you a Chag Kasher V’sameach -

A Happy, Kosher and Healthy Passover.

And just one more Passover recipe – our favorite Sephardi-style Charoset. In fact, my husband is making it now.

We prepare a double batch and spread it on matzah or eat it “as is” during the week. For a delicious breakfast, try it with plain low-fat yogurt.

Rubin Family Charoset

Ingredients:

1 seedless orange, peeled and cut into eighths
1 apple, peeled, cored and cut into eighths
1 cup dates, pitted and halved

1 cup raisins
½ cup walnut pieces or halves
½ cup almonds
2 tablespoons orange juice

Method:

Put all of the ingredients into the bowl of a food processor. Process until the
mixture becomes a soft and rather coarse paste. Add more juice if necessary.
Refrigerate to blend the flavors.

Yields: 3 cups

Leftovers

My refrigerator looks rather forlorn now: half a jar of mustard, a spoonful of mayonnaise, leftover rice; a little of this, a little of that.

We’re all in the same boat – trying to make the best of leftovers and piecing together meals before Passover.

But this year I won’t complain about leftovers. I have a new appreciation of my own leftovers when my son told me what the IDF is doing with theirs: The Israeli army is frying up their leftover “loof” – the kosher version of Spam that’s provided to soldiers in the field, and serving it instead of the usual schnitzel. Evidently, loof is not kosher-for-Pesach, and the army is trying to use it up before the holiday.

Yum!

Passover Quiz

Here’s a quick quiz that we can all relate to:

By the end of Passover:

A. I have gained several pounds
B. My stomach is upset
C. I feel totally exhausted
D. None of the above
E. All of the above

If you’re like most of us, you’ve likely checked “E”.

Jews are known as “The People of the Book.” But on Passover, we become “The People of the Cookbook!” Our time is spent in the kitchen and around the table – it’s food, food and more food.

And with an emphasis on eggs, potatoes, sweets and matzah, it’s not surprising that we don’t feel our best by the end of the holiday.

But here’s the good news: It doesn’t have to be this way!

By making some simple changes to your usual Pesach diet, you can eat light, you can eat right, and you can feel better than ever when Pesach is over.

You don’t have to eat matzah at every meal. The mitzvah of eating mitzvah only applies to the Seder. And if regular matzah is upsetting to your digestive system, try whole wheat matzah instead.

Plan your meals around vegetables. Eat a green salad every day. Center your meals on soups, salads and main courses prepared with fresh seasonal vegetables.

Include fish often during Pesach. It’s a healthy low-fat alternative to meat that doesn’t leave you feeling stuffed.

Serve lots of fruit. In addition to fresh seasonal fruit, I like to prepare a simple dried fruit compote to last throughout the holiday. Cook the fruit with a stick of cinnamon or orange slices and there’s no need for added sugar.

Quality not quantity. Most of us tend to prepare way too much food during the holidays. One solution is to estimate reasonable portion sizes and freeze any leftovers for another meal. And if someone is still hungry after dinner, offer fresh fruit.

Be active! Just because it’s a holiday, there’s no reason to sit around the house. During Chol Hamoed, get out and walk, ride bikes, exercise or play ball.

By the end of this Pesach, I hope that we can all answer “D” – “None of the Above” when I re-send this quiz!

PASSOVER MACAROONS

My husband hates macaroons – the canned, overly-sweetened coconut variety that most of us grew up with during Passover.

But a traditional macaroon is something completely different. At its simplest it is a cookie made of ground almonds, sugar and beaten egg whites.

When I prepared real macaroons shortly after we were married, my husband was in shock. He loved them! His very favorite is a version made with pistachios, sugar and a whole egg. The ultimate in simplicity.

Later this week, he’s promised to shell at least a pound of pistachios so I can bake enough of these for our family and friends. Here’s the recipe:


Pistachio Macaroons

1 cup shelled, roasted, salted pistachios
¾ cup sugar
1 large egg

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit (165 degrees Celsius).

Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

Combine the nuts, sugar and egg in a food processor and grind to a coarse paste.

Use a scant tablespoon of batter for each cookie, placing them about 2 inches apart on the baking sheet.

Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, until lightly browned. Cool on the pan for 5 minutes and then remove to a baking rack to cool completely.

Makes approximately 2 dozen

And for Some Variety: Quinoa for Pesach

Most authorities agree that quinoa (pronounced keen-wa) is kosher for Passover. * The tiny round quinoa seed is unrelated to the five varieties of grain prohibited during Pesach, and will not ferment or rise. It is recommended to check quinoa carefully (before Pesach) for any extraneous matter and to purchase it from a manufacturer that doesn’t package chametz in the same plant. In Israel, quinoa is very popular throughout the year and is available “Kosher for Pesach” in most grocery stores.

Nutritionally, quinoa is an excellent protein source and is high in iron, potassium, magnesium and lysine. It cooks in only 15 minutes and takes to a wide range of seasonings. It is naturally covered with a bitter substance called saponin. Rinse it in a sieve under cold water to remove this coating.

* It is always best to consult your rabbi regarding matters of kashrut

Try this recipe and then experiment with variations of your own:

FRAGRANT QUINOA WITH VEGETABLES

2 cups water
1 cup quinoa, rinsed well and drained
¼ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium carrot, peeled and cut into small thin strips
1 medium zucchini, cut into small thin strips
1 teaspoon paprika
½ teaspoon cinnamon
Freshly ground pepper

Bring the water to a boil in a saucepan and add the quinoa and salt. Lower the heat, cover the pan and simmer until the water is absorbed, 12-15 minutes. (You will notice a small opaque spiral around each grain. This is normal.)

Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a skillet and sauté the carrots for 3-5 minutes. Add the zucchini and sauté for another few minutes, until both vegetables are tender but still crisp. Add the paprika and cinnamon and cook for another minute.

Mix the vegetables with the quinoa and serve.

Serves 4 – 6

Why Did the Chicken Cross the Road?

To get you to eat more eggs on Pesach!

It’s a bad joke, but here’s some good advice on your Pesach diet…



Eggs, potatoes, matzah, more eggs…

Does this sound like your family’s diet during the week of Pesach?

Eggs, of course, are a Passover staple. Hard boiled eggs at the Seder, matzah balls, matzah brei, sponge cake and more. Most of us go through dozens of eggs during the week-long holiday.

Eggs contain folic acid, B vitamins, the antioxidant lutein and other nutrients. They are an easily digestible source of high quality protein.

A large egg yolk contains 5 grams of fat (of which 2 grams are saturated fat), 60 calories and 215 milligrams of cholesterol – more cholesterol than any other food.

The egg white, on the other hand, is fat and cholesterol-free and has a total of 16 calories.

While there is no direct link between heart disease and egg consumption, we do know that saturated fat and cholesterol intake can raise blood cholesterol levels. The American Heart Association recommends limiting consumption of eggs to one a day.

And please be sure to always cook eggs thoroughly. Raw eggs can carry salmonella - a very toxic bacteria that can cause severe illness and even death.

Here are some suggestions for reducing your intake of fat and cholesterol during Pesach:

Substitute two egg whites for one whole egg when making matzah balls

When preparing matzah brei for four people, use two whole eggs and four whites

Look for cake and cookie recipes calling for ground nuts and egg whites

Limit baked goods and eat fruit instead

Choose fish and poultry instead of red meat

Use fat-free or low-fat dairy products

Be creative in your cooking. You can make Pesach a whole lot healthier!

Looking Forward to Passover

Here in Beer Sheva, spring is in the air. One day it’s warm and sunny, the next day windy and dusty, and the following day cool and cloudy. A sure sign that it’s almost Pesach.

If the weather isn’t proof enough, the disarray at our local grocery store is: Shelves are being cleared and stocked with gefilte fish, matzah, wine, soup mix, cakes and candy. And more cakes. And more candy. And every variety of soup mix that you could imagine.

How tempting to fill our grocery carts with ready-made, convenient Kosher L’Pesach foods. But are they really worth it?

It’s a question of convenience, cost, taste and nutrition.

Home-made gefilte fish is probably just as expensive and nutritionally similar to the bottled variety. Your grandmother’s recipe is likely to be delicious and nostalgic. But count on several hours of preparation time.

Soup, on the other hand, is fairly inexpensive and easy to prepare “from scratch”. Using fresh vegetables and herbs, your own soup is likely to be tastier, higher in vitamins, minerals and fiber and much lower in salt than canned soups or those made from a mix. (Check out the Sweet Potato Soup and Sweet and Sour Cabbage Soup recipes in my new book. Both are great for Pesach.)

As for desserts, I suggest checking labels. Avoid cookies, cakes and candy containing hydrogenated fat and cottonseed oil.

Purchase a plain sponge cake and serve it with fruit for an elegant dessert. A piece of plain dark chocolate is preferable to most of the sugar and fat-laden candy available during the holiday. There are many Pesach recipes for cookies made with ground nuts and eggs. Italian-style macaroon recipes usually can be adapted as well.

Here is an easy and delicious brownie recipe:

Passover Brownies

Ingredients

¾ cup walnut or canola oil
½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
4 eggs
1¾ cups sugar
1 cup matzah cake meal
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup prepared hot coffee
½ cup walnuts, chopped (optional)

Method

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. (180 degrees Centigrade)

Lightly oil a 9 x 13" baking pan.

Whisk together the oil and cocoa until smooth. Set aside.

Beat the eggs and sugar together until frothy. Mix in the oil and cocoa mixture,
cake meal, salt, coffee and walnuts, if using.

Pour into prepared pan and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until a toothpick
comes out clean.

Yields: approximately 24 brownies