Passover Part 2
The grand Passover meal with matzo balls, turkey stuffing, and Matzo lasgna.
After the Passover story, eating of the spring vegetable, the bitter herbs and matzo comes the main meal. Here are some traditional as well as new dishes.
The Passover Seder has many parts, the telling of the story of coming out of Egypt and symbolic vegetables, food and matza and then there is the main meal. While there are many prohibitions on Passover - no leavened bread, no pasta and for Orthodox European Jews no rice, it's a great time for experimenting. Passover is about remembrance not denial.
Here are some old traditional favorites and some new ones:
Matzah balls are a special Passover tradition and treat. There are two kinds of matzah balls sinkers and floaters. Here's a recipe for matzah balls, which while they won't float on air will rise to the top of any soup. Matzah meal is available in most grocery stores this time of year. Many people love matzah balls so much they eat them all year around.
Matzah Balls
- 1 cup Matzah meal
- ¼ cup Club Soda
- ¼ cup melted vegetable shortening (or rendered chicken fat)
- Salt to taste
- ¼ teaspoon - Nut Meg
- ¼ teaspoon - Ginger powder
- 2 tablespoons - finely chopped parsley
- 3 eggs 1 pot clear soup or salt water
Mix Club Soda into the Matzah meal. Add Shortening, Nut Meg, salt, ginger and parsley to Matzah mixture. Beat each egg, separately and then add to the mixture. Let rest in a covered bowl in the refrigerator for a four hours or over night. Form 6 walnut or small egg sized balls. Bring to a brisk boil a pot of clear soup or salt water. One at a time drop the matzah balls into the boiling water or soup. The Matzah balls should float to the surface. Once all the balls are in, put on simmer for 30 minutes. Serve with soup.
Turkey Matzah Farfel Stuffing
The main course on Seder Night varies but some kind of fowl; chicken, goose, game hens or turkey are common. Here's a tasty stuffing made with Matzah instead of bread. You can make extra stuffing in a pot on the stove but the best stuffing is cooked in the bird.
Farfel Stuffing:
- 2 cups Matzah Farfel or shredded Matzah
- 1 cup water
- Turkey giblets
- 2 onions
- ½ cup pine nuts
- 1 cup chopped celery
- 2 large diced mushrooms
- ½ cup finely chopped broccoli tops.
- Basil, pepper, salt to taste
- 10 pound Turkey Olive oil
Heat oven to 350. Fry up onions and diced mushrooms in a heavy frying pan till brown. Dice giblets; add to onions and mushrooms and fry till done. Moisten matzah farfel with water add to pan. Add celery, pine nuts, and broccoli tops, basil, pepper and salt mix together and fry on medium heat. Stuff the turkey. Spread olive oil over the turkey. Cover turkey and cook for 3 hours or till brown. Baste every half-hour. For 20 minutes cook uncovered.
Side dishes at Passover are usually potatoes but here's some new side dishes to try.
It's a grain that's kosher for Passover and its gaining in popularity. It has a wonderful nutty flavor. Rinse it well then burn it in a skillet and then prepare as you would rice, two cups of liquid for each cup of quinoa. We fried up onions until golden brown then added mushrooms for a quinoa pilaf.
Its big and yellow and can be found year round in most green grocers. Cut it in half, the cut side down, put on tray in the oven at 375 F for approximately 1 hour or until tender. Scoop out the inside with a fork. The strands can be used like spaghetti with a tomato sauce or just serve it as a side dish. It has a wonderful nutty flavor to it. If you're having an all diary Passover meal add feta cheese.
Matzo Lasagna
If you're not having meat or you need another dish for vegetarians try matzo lasagna, my friend Adele makes it every year. She has an all diary Passover meal. You could also try this without the cheese.
" I just lay the matzah on the bottom of the pan dry and then add slices of eggplant and sauce and grated cheese and then start again. It is always a little different each year as I made up the recipe and never remember what I do exactly. Put it in a 350* oven for about 45 minutes."
She also suggested putting a layer of frozen spinach in it.
Remember Passover can be a stressful time so if someone offers help, take it. And if they don't, ask for it. Hag Samach! Have a wonderful Passover!
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