The one silver lining of this whole never-ending quarantine is that I’ve had more time to cook than almost ever before (proof is on the scale, lol!). But hosting the Passover Seder is no joke! I made Passover last year for 12 people (my first Seder!) but honestly have no idea how I pulled that together; I must have started days in advance. Today, I just finished up work in the morning and then just cooked for 6 straight hours. This is the fruit of that labor!
One serious note before I dive in: As difficult and trying as this time has been, it has caused me to reflect immensely on all we have to be grateful for. We have our health, we have wonderful family and friends, we have our beautiful home (with an incredible kitchen to cook in), and yes, we have our freedom (even if it may not feel like it these days). This year may not look and feel like a traditional seder, but I know we will make it special in so many ways and I’m so honored to share the experience with you. So now, roll up your sleeves, whet your appetite, and let’s get cooking!
SEDER PLATE:
Before I lay out the seder plate specifics, you must, I repeat MUST start by making your own matzah. You won’t regret it! But make it ahead because you can’t use flour during Passover. Due to the quarantine, I didn’t have a chance to get matzah at the grocery store this year (usually I walk out of there with 5 boxes!). So I had to go get creative and go back to basics with his homemade recipe. Believe it or not, I tried several variations before finally settling on the perfect matzah recipe, I’m happy to report I’m never going back to boxed, it was that good! This recipe was inspired by NY Times Cooking, but I made a few tweaks to the proportions and cook time. (You have to know your oven on this one; some bake faster than others.) I was skeptical about using olive oil at first, but it really was the perfect addition. Fun tidbit – all extra virgin olive oils are Kosher for Passover, as long as they bear the appropriate symbol.
Olive Oil Matzah
Who knew that the secret to homemade matzah was olive oil?! I promise you once you try it, you'll never go back!
Ingredients
- 2 cups flour
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 1/2-3/4 cup warm water
- Flaky sea salt for topping
Directions
- Step 1 Heat oven to 500 degrees. Put flour, salt and olive oil in a food processor. While machine is on, add 1/2 cup water. Continue to run machine and add water gradually, just until dough forms a firm ball, riding around on blade and is not sticky.
- Step 2 Remove from food processor and divide dough into 12 small balls — this is easiest if you cut the ball in half, then half again, then into thirds — and flatten each into a 3- to 4-inch disc. Flour a surface (well!) and use a floured rolling pin to roll each disc into a 6- to 8-inch circle. The shapes won’t be perfect, but dough should be so thin you can almost see through it.
- Step 3 Place prepared dough on ungreased cookie sheets and then poke the surface lightly all over with a fork (don’t puncture all of the way through!). Sprinkle with sea salt if you like, and bake for ~3 minutes, keeping a very close eye as it can burn very quickly. Once it begins to puff up and brown, flip and cook for another couple of minutes on the other side. My optimal timing was 8 minutes total in my oven, but you know your oven best! Repeat with all the dough and let cool completely.
For whatever reason, all of the posts out there for hard boiled eggs are SO lengthy. This recipe can be summed up in two words. Boil and steam. It really doesn’t need to be more complicated than that, folks!
The Perfect Hardboiled Egg
The secret to easy-to-peel, hardboiled eggs? STEAMING! Don't believe me, give it a try!
Ingredients
- 6 fresh eggs
- Water
- 1/2 tsp of salt
Directions
- Step 1 Pour an inch of water and salt into a saucepan and insert a steamer basket. Bring to a rolling boil. Place the eggs in the steamer basket, cover and steam for 15 minutes (more or less, check!).
- Step 2 If you don’t have a steamer basket, steam the eggs in a half inch of water. The steam penetrates the shell a bit making the eggs easier to peel.
- Step 3 Strain the water from the pan and run cold water over the eggs to cool them quickly and stop them from cooking further. Or, if you are cooking a larger batch of eggs, remove them with a slotted spoon to a large bowl of ice water. It is easiest to peel the eggs under a bit of running water.
Apple-Walnut Charoset with Thyme
This is a standard Ashkenazi (Eastern European) recipe with my twist, fresh thyme!
Ingredients
- 3 medium Gala or Fuji apples, peeled, cored, and finely diced (to save time dicing, you can put them in the food processor, but don't be careful of over processing)
- 1 1/2 cups walnut halves, lightly toasted, cooled, and coarsely chopped
- 1/2 cup sweet red wine, like Manischewitz
- 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 TBSP packed brown sugar
- 2 tsp minced fresh thyme (or 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme)
Directions
- Step 1 In large bowl, stir together all ingredients. Store, covered, in the refrigerator. Bring to room temperature at least an hour before the Seder.
The Seder plate is the focal point of the whole meal but I could not locate a really simple breakdown of the components on the web. You can reference your Haggadah for the full ceremonial meaning behind each sacred ingredient, but here is the list and a photo for reference:
The Six Components of a Seder plate:
- Matzah: The biblical narrative relates that the Israelites left Egypt in such haste they could not wait for their bread dough to rise; so the bread, when baked, was unleavened.
- Shank bone (zeroa): A piece of roasted meat represents the lamb that was the special paschal sacrifice on the eve of the exodus from Egypt. A cooked beet can be substituted for vegetarian seder plates.
- Hardboiled egg (chagigah): A hard-boiled egg represents the pre-holiday offering that was brought in the days of the Holy Temple.
- Bitter herbs (maror): Remind us of the bitterness of the slavery of our forefathers in Egypt. Horseradish or romaine lettuce can be used.
- Charoset: A mixture of apples, nuts and wine, which resembles the mortar and brick made by the Jews when they toiled for Pharaoh.
- Parsley (karpas): This vegetable alludes to the backbreaking work of the Jews as slaves
NOSH:
Our seder is shorter than most (and we tend to get a little distracted and sidetracked, thanks to both the kids and copious amounts of wine), but some seders can take up to 4 hours! It’s always nice to have something on the table to nosh on. I look forward to gefilte fish and our local kosher butcher’s chopped liver every year but this year couldn’t get there, so I brought back the next best thing: my vegetarian faux gras, which is a perfect kosher, and vegetarian, substitute. Perfect to snack on with matzah. You can even make a “sandwich” with the charoset!
Faux Gras
Ingredients
- 12 medium-sized cremini mushrooms, chopped
- 2 TBSP olive oil
- 1 small shallot peeled and diced
- 2 cloves garlic peeled and minced
- 1 cup toasted walnuts
- 2 TBSP freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 2 tsp minced fresh rosemary
- 2 tsp minced fresh thyme
- 2 tsp fresh parsley
- 2 tsp brown sugar
- 1/8 tsp truffle oil
- salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Directions
- Step 1 Heat the olive oil a skillet or wide saucepan. Add the shallots and garlic, and cook, stirring frequently until soft, about 2-3 minutes. Add the mushrooms to the skillet and cook until they’re soft and cooked through, another 5 minutes. Remove from heat.
- Step 2 In a food processor, combine the walnuts, lemon juice, rosemary, thyme, parsley and brown sugar. Add the cooked mushroom mixture and the truffle oil and process until completely smooth. Taste, and add salt, pepper, and additional lemon juice, to taste.
- Step 3 Scoop into a small serving bowl and refrigerate for a few hours, until firm. Serve with bread, crackers, or on small toasts. We love serving it with gourmet salts or jam too!
DINNER:
We started with my mother in laws chicken noodle soup recipe (she delivered special to us for the Seder!), then transitioned to my spring Radish & Mint salad (original post here), then served my favorite brisket recipe, featured here with a raspberry reduction (I just love a sweet sauce for my briskets). I also served with a simple roasted asparagus but that was totally extra! I can’t even put into words how full we were afterwards! And yet, here I am today already thinking about my second seder dinner – a roast chicken! Tune back in for that post tomorrow.
Grandma's Chicken Soup
A comforting chicken soup made by Marc's Mother with so many healthy benefits that we have nicknamed it the corona-prevention soup! Best made overnight and reheated for the Seder.
Ingredients
- 1 4-pound whole chicken, neck and giblets removed from the cavity
- 4-5 carrots, chopped into 2 inch slices
- 4 celery stalks, cut into 2 inch slices
- 1-2 turnips, peeled and quartered
- 1 large onion, sliced into eighths
- 4 chicken bouillon cubes
- Several sprigs of fresh dill
- A handful of flat leaf parsley leaves
- 2 tsp kosher salt
- Optional: A half-dozen matzo balls or 1/2 pound noodles (for Passover, use kosher egg-free noodles)
Directions
- Step 1 Fill a large 8 quart pot with water. Place whole chicken and all prepared ingredients and herbs directly into the pot. Bring to a boil and let simmer 2-3 hours on very low heat.
- Step 2 Remove chicken bones after 3 hours and skim off the skin – the meat should literally fall right off the bones into the soup. Continue simmering until you are almost ready to serve or, for best results, refrigerate over night and skim fat that will rise to the top next morning.
- Step 3 The next day, reheat the soup and when you’re about 20 minutes out from serving, add matzo balls or dry noodles (if using) to the soup. Allow it to simmer and so the noodles can cook through. Season with salt and ground pepper before serving. Serve hot.
Radish & Mint Salad
A delicious spring salad, featuring the bright flavors of radish and mint, with hints of lemon and honey. Perfect for both Passover and Easter!
Ingredients
- 6 large radishes, very thinly sliced
- Half of an English cucumber, thinly sliced (optional)
- 2 tsp fresh lemon juice
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 4 cups baby romaine or arugula (watercress could be great too!)
- 4 tsp small fresh mint leaves
- 1 TBSP extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/4 cup pinenuts, toasted and coarsely crushed (using a mug)
- 1 TBSP honey, for drizzling
- 1 TBSP lemon zest and additional lemon juice for drizzling
Directions
- Step 1 Combine sliced radishes and cucumber (if using) in a bow with the 2 teaspoons of lemon juice, the sugar and 1/2 teaspoon of the salt. Let sit while you prepare the rest of the salad to soak up the juices.
- Step 2 Combine the greens of your choice and mint in a medium bowl. Drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, and toss to incorporate. Taste, and season with more lemon juice, oil and salt as needed.
- Step 3 Toast the pine nuts for about 5 minutes on low heat. Then crush finely – I find using the the bottom of a mug is a great way to do this – see below.
- Step 4 Remove the radishes and cucumbers from the liquid and nestle them among the greens. Immediately before serving, sprinkle the pine nuts over the salad, drizzle with honey and top with additional lemon juice and lemon zest.
Passover Brisket
A great easy slow cooked meal for those cozy wintry nights and also a big hit for Hanukkah. Super tender and flavorful!
Ingredients
- 3 lbs brisket
- 3 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp ground pepper
- 2 TBSP butter (unless your keeping Kosher, then just add more olive oil)
- 2 TBSP olive oil
- 1 bay leaf
- 6 peppercorns
- 3 small white onions, peeled and cut in half
- 4 garlic gloves, peeled and roughly chopped
- 3 carrots cut in 2 inch pieces
- 3/4 cup boiling water
- A handful of fresh thyme sprigs
- 1 russet potato cut into 1 inch rounds
Directions
- Step 1 Preheat your oven to 300 degrees. Season your roast with salt and pepper. If you are able to season a day or two before cooking, the meat will be extra flavorful!
- Step 2 In a large Dutch oven, add the butter and olive oil, and melt over high heat.
- Step 3 When the butter and oil are very hot, carefully add the meat, fat side down. Sear for 4 minutes. Meanwhile, start bringing water to a boil in a small saucepan.
- Step 4 Flip to the other side and sear for another 4 minutes. The fat side should stay up for the remainder of the cook time. You almost always want to cook the brisket with the fat side up. As the roast cooks, the fat melts and runs down the sides of the meat to baste It, which keeps it moist.
- Step 5 After both sides are seared, turn off the heat. Season the top of the pot roast with your additional salt and pepper, adding the peppercorns and bay leaf, then nestle the onions, garlic, carrots, and thyme around the roast.
- Step 6 Cover with the boiling water, cover your pot and place in the oven. Roast for 2 hours, then remove from the oven and add the potatoes. Place back in the oven for 1 more hour.
- Step 7 After 3 hours, remove the roast and trim the top layer of fat. Then slice and serve!
Raspberry Pomegranate Reduction
A sweet reduction for any meat, paired perfectly with my Passover brisket. If you don't have raspberries on hands, you can easily substitute another seedless jam and any berries you do have, like blackberries or blueberries.
Ingredients
- 1 TBSP minced shallots
- 1 TBSP butter
- 1/4 cup white wine vinegar
- 2 TBSP seedless raspberry jam
- ¼ tsp kosher salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- The juice and zest of 1 lemon
- 1/3 cup fresh raspberries
- 1/4 cup pomegranate seeds
Directions
- Step 1 For the sauce, sauté shallots in butter drippings over medium heat until soft, 1–2 minutes.
- Step 2 Deglaze pan with vinegar, scraping up any brown bits. Increase the heat to medium-high and reduce vinegar by half, about 5 minutes. Whisk in jam until dissolved and season sauce with salt and pepper.
- Step 3 Turn heat to low. Add a squeeze of fresh lemon juice, and stir in raspberries, breaking them down slightly. Stir in pomegranate seeds, remove from heat and sprinkle with fresh lemon zest. Serve alongside your plated brisket, drizzling a spoonful on top of each plate.
DESSERT:
This is my tried and true passover dessert, my PB&J matzah “crack” – original post here. Peanuts are not kosher for passover (learned this hard way when I tried to bring this to the office one day as a treat…oops) so if you need to it to be kosher, you will need kosher-for-passover peanut butter. If not, substitute almond butter like I’m doing this year! I also highly recommend The Inherited Plate’s Chocolate Matzah Rum Cake. It’s chilling in my freezer now for second seder dessert!
PB&J Matzah Brittle
Put my special twist on your delicious matzah brittle. You'll soon learn why we call it matzah crack! Using almond butter instead of peanut makes this recipe kosher for passover!
Ingredients
- 3 sheets of matzah
- 1 stick of unsalted butter (8 TBSP)
- 2/3 cups sugar
- 1 tablespoon water
- 6 ounces of chocolate chips (1/2 a bag)
- 1/2 cup creamy almond or peanut butter (Shneider's brand is Kosher for Passover!)
- 1/4 cup berry-of-your-choice jelly (Lieber's brand is Kosher for Passover!)
- Coarse sea salt
Directions
- Step 1 Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with tin foil. Place a layer of matzah on the sheet (you may need to break one to cover evenly, depending on the size of your baking sheet)
- Step 2 In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Stir in the sugar and 1 tablespoon water. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat and cook undisturbed until the toffee is light golden, about 5 to 7 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool for 1 minute. Then quickly pour over the matzah, using a metal spatula to spread evenly. It cools fast so do this step quickly! Bake in the oven for 8 minutes.
- Step 3 Remove the brittle from the oven and sprinkle with the chocolate chips. Return to the oven and bake just until the chocolate starts to melt, about 2 more minutes. Remove from the oven and spread the chocolate evenly using the metal spoon. Let the brittle cool for 5 minutes.
- Step 4 Meanwhile, melt the peanut butter in a saucepan over low heat (about 2 minutes). Drizzle across the chocolate and, using the spoon, swirl the chocolate and peanut butter. Add dollops of jelly across the surface and swirl into the peanut butter/chocolate layer. Sprinkle with sea salt (I used Pink Himalayan salt).
- Step 5 Let the brittle cool for 1 hour, then refrigerate about 2-3 hours more to set. Break into pieces to serve. Store in an airtight container or in the fridge for up to 1 week. Freeze any leftover for a snack you can enjoy year round!
THE MORNING AFTER:
If you aren’t sick of matzah yet… then check out these two recipes, one for breakfast and one for dinner. (It may not feel like it, but it’s a long week of matzah ahead!) Our Matzah Brei recipe is inspired by the Rabbi from our temple (shout out to Temple Beth El in Chappaqua), with our family favorite suggested toppings. The Chicken Schnitzel is another blog favorite (post here) and definitely a fun and creative way to use up your matzah!
Matzah Brei with Cinnamon & Honey
The perfect morning-after-seder breakfast. Essentially the Passover take on French toast. Can be made sweet or savory but we believe the sweeter the better!
Ingredients
- 3 sheets of matzah
- 1/4 cup warm water
- 3 eggs
- 1/3 cup milk
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 2 TBSP unsalted butter
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 TBSP honey
- Optional Additional Toppings:Powdered Sugar
- Pomegranate seeds
- Jam
- Whipped Cream
Directions
- Step 1 Break your matzah up into small bite-sized pieces and place in a large bowl. Add water and combine so that the matzah soaks up the water and gets a bit mushy. Add the eggs and milk and stir to combine. Then stir in the cinnamon and vanilla.
- Step 2 Heat a non-stick skillet over medium heat and add the butter. Once the butter begins to melt, add the matzah mix to pan and scramble the mixture until it is just set but still light and fluffy, about 1-2 minutes. Sprinkle with sugar and salt, toss well.
- Step 3 Serve matzah brei sprinkled with powdered sugar, drizzled with honey and/or jam and topped with whipped cream and pomegranate seeds.
Passover Chicken Schnitzel
Not *just* for Passover, this take on Chicken Schnitzel is breaded with matzah meal for the most deliciously crispy crust.
Ingredients
- 3 sheets of matzah (or 1 cup matzo meal)
- 1 lb chicken cutlets
- 2 egg whites
- 1 TBSP dried tarragon
- 1 TBSP garlic powder
- 1 TBSP paprika
- Kosher Salt & Pepper
Directions
- Step 1 Prepare your homemade matzah meal by breaking up the sheets of matzah and pulsing in a food processor until they become a fine panko-type consistency. Each sheet of matzah is about 1/3 cup. Transfer to a shallow bowl or plate, add garlic powder, paprika and stir.
- Step 2 Whisk the egg whites and add the tarragon in a separate shallow dish.
- Step 3 Set up an assembly line in this order: egg white dish, matzo meal and then an empty plate. Season your chicken cutlets generously with salt and pepper. Dip each cutlet into the egg white mixture first, coating both sides, then dip the chicken into the matzo meal. Place on the last plate and repeat with remaining chicken cutlets.
- Step 4 Heat about 2 tbsp of olive oil in a skillet over medium to medium-high heat. Add cutlets (you will probably need to cook in two rounds), placing them down in the skillet away from you to avoid splattering, and cook on each side for 2-3 minutes until the crust is golden brown.
- Step 5 Remove to a clean plate and repeat frying process with remaining cutlets. Serve and enjoy!.
I'm Amanda - a Mom, chef & blogger with a wholehearted approach to cooking and life. Things are always a little crazy around here with two toddlers underfoot, but nothing brings me greater joy than welcoming you into into my kitchen (and our home)! Learn more about me 