ARTS&LIFE DINING IN
Creative Cooking for Passover
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assover is a long holiday. And it feels longer because the menu is so limited. Or is it? Don’t let food worries color your cooking creativity. These days there are other ingredients such as quinoa (not a grain at all, but seeds) and tapioca flour, for example to cook with. Growing up, Annabel my mother Cohen Contributing writer made matzah brei during Passover. It was a dish her Polish parents prepared for her family. It was almost the only “traditional” food she made for our family during Passover. She would serve it salty or sweet, sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar or spread with fruit jam. It was our tradition. Basically, it is moistened matzah (use water), drained and mixed with eggs (1 pound matzah, 4 large eggs and a teaspoon of salt, mixed together). She fried it in a skillet with oil and it was heavenly. Sure, you can avoid any floury foods (many of us do it anyway), or you can embrace your inner bubbie and look for fun and creative ways to add matzah to your favorite entrees. Breakfast, lunch or dinner, take your Passover
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MARCH 18 • 2021
food to a different level — not gourmet, just interesting and pleasing. Go ahead — think inside the box (of matzah, of course). Use some newer ingredients and have some fun. Start some new traditions. QUINOA WITH VEGETABLES What makes this dish extra luxurious are the oodles of sauteed vegetables you can customize to your own tastes — super versatile. You also use it as a stuffing for vegetables, such as bell peppers, zucchini boats or my favorite, semi-hollowed eggplant halves. If you feel like adding a handful of dried fruits or nuts to the mix, feel free. I didn’t include them in the recipe because Passover food already has so many recipes with fruits and nuts. Ingredients ½ cup dry quinoa 1 cup water 2 Tbsp. olive oil 1 cup chopped onion 1 tsp. minced garlic 1 cup chopped mushrooms (about 4 ounces) 1 cup ¼-inch diced carrots 1 cup ¼-inch diced zucchini, unpeeled Kosher salt and black pepper to taste
Optional: Fresh herbs, such as sage, dill, basil Optional: Splash Balsamic vinegar Directions Preheat oven to 425º. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment. Set aside. Combine the quinoa and water in a small saucepan and bring the water to a boil over medium-high heat. Remove the saucepan from the heat and place a lid on the pan. Allow the quinoa to cool in the pan. In the meantime, combine the oil, onion, garlic, mushrooms, carrots and zucchini in a bowl and toss well. Season lightly with salt and pepper and spread on the baking sheet. Cook for 10-15 minutes until the vegetables are just tender. Transfer back to the bowl and add the quinoa and toss well. Adjust seasoning to taste. Makes 4-6 servings. BRAZILIAN CHEESE BREAD (PAO DE QUEIJO) As many of you know, my family is Brazilian, and this is one of our favorite treats. They have a sort of gummy texture on the inside, which is what I love about them most. You can purchase these, uncooked, frozen in many groceries or you can make yourself with this easy recipe.
Ingredients 1 cup milk ½ cup butter 1 tsp. salt 2 cups tapioca flour 2 large eggs 1 ½ cups freshly grated Parmesan cheese Directions Preheat oven to 400º. Brush a 12-cup muffin tin or 24 cup mini-muffin tin with vegetable oil. Set aside Combine milk, salt and butter in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Whisk the mixture constantly until it comes to a boil. Remove from heat immediately and stir in tapioca flour until smooth. Add the eggs and cheese and stir until smooth. Set aside to cool. Divide among the muffin tins and bake until puffy and golden, 15-20 minutes. Makes 12 large or 24 mini cheese breads. Eat immediately or reheat in a 300º oven for about 5 minutes. BARBARA’S MATZAH BALLS My friend makes matzah balls from, guess what, actual matzah! She uses schmaltz (chicken fat) to make these glorious. She’s made them without it and says it’s just not the same. These make sturdy, dense orbs, just as her family likes.
