Passover Shepherd's Pie with Matzo Crust

I always try to make our Seder meals as festive as possible. Most years (sans pandemic) I roast a turkey and braise a big brisket. Lots of vegetable side dishes. Sometimes the second night is vegetarian. My grandma’s honey-soaked chremslach are a must. Ditto the Manischewitz concord grape wine (along with some lovelier selections).

But during the week — not so much. It’s regular meals. So, maybe meatloaf (with matzo meal substituting for bread crumbs). Or chicken cutlets crusted with coconut. Leftover turkey made into salad. Like that.

From time to time I make this “Shepherd’s Pie” — which really isn’t Shepherd’s Pie because there’s no potato crust. I include the potatoes in the meat mix and gave it a matzo crust. That crust is a crunchy, wonderful thing together with the softer, more tender inside ingredients.

Passover Shepherd’s Pie with Matzo Crust

• 2 tablespoons olive oil

• 1 medium onion, chopped

• 1 large clove garlic, chopped

• 2 carrots, peeled and chopped

• 1 large Yukon Gold or other all-purpose potato, peeled and chopped

• 1-1/2 pounds ground meat

• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

• 1 teaspoon fresh thyme, optional (or use 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme)(or use 1-2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley)

• 2 tablespoons potato starch

• 1 cup stock (beef, chicken or vegetable)

• 2 matzot

• 1 egg, beaten (or use olive oil)

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Heat the olive oil in a saute pan over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, carrots and potato and cook, stirring frequently, for 7-8 minutes, or until softened and beginning to brown. Add the meat, salt, pepper and thyme and continue to cook and stir, breaking up the meat into small pieces, for another 5-6 minutes or until the meat has cooked through. Add the potato starch and stir it into the meat mixture. Pour in the stock and cook, stirring, until the sauce has thickened (about one minute). Spoon the mixture into a rectangular baking dish. Soak the matzot briefly to soften them slightly, then place them on paper toweling and press any excess water from them. Place the soaked matzot on top of the meat. Brush the surface with the beaten egg. Bake for about 25 minutes or until the top is crispy and browned.

Makes 4-6 servings

Passover Carrot Cake

One Passover, decades ago, we decided to forego Aunt Rozzie’s sponge cake, the dessert we had eaten year after year after year at our Seders for as long as I remembered.

We switched to the newer, modern, au courant flourless chocolate cake.

But after years of that we got bored again with the same old same old.

So I began to bake other stuff. Orange-Almond Cake. A Passover version of our family’s treasured recipe for butter cookies. Toasted Almond Napoleon with Balsamic-glazed Bananas. Chocolate Jelly Roll.

Then I experimented with carrot cake.

Winner!

As far as I’m concerned carrot cake is always a winner. You can add a cream-cheese frosting or top it with whipped cream, ice cream or sorbet, but it really doesn’t need any of those. It’s just wonderfully moist and delicious as is. Even this version, suitable for Passover.

Passover Carrot Cake

• 8 large eggs, separated

• 1-1/4 cups sugar

• 6 tablespoons orange juice (or use mango or apple juice)

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• 1 cup finely chopped almonds

• 1 cup very finely chopped carrots

• 1 cup matzo cake meal

• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Lightly grease a 10-inch springform pan. Line the bottom with parchment paper and lightly grease the paper. Beat the egg yolks and 3/4 cup of sugar together in the bowl of an electric mixer set on medium-high, for 3-4 minutes, or until the mixture is thick and pale yellow. Stir in the juice, vanilla, almonds, carrots, cake meal, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt and blend ingredients thoroughly. In a second mixer bowl, beat the egg whites on medium speed until they are frothy. Continue beating, gradually adding the remaining 1/2 cup sugar. Beat until the whites are glossy and stand in peaks. Stir about 1/4 of the beaten whites into the yolk mixture. Fold the remaining whites into the yolk mixture. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for about 45 minutes or until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool the cake on a rack.

Makes 10 servings

Green Bean Salad with Orange

Green Bean Salad with Orange

Historians tell us that Queen Esther was a vegetarian, that in order to keep her Jewish identity secret and stay within kashrut, she ate only fruits, vegetables, legumes, seeds and grains. Perhaps some dairy products as well.

On Purim we honor this extraordinary woman, who outwitted the evil Haman and saved the Jews of ancient Persia from complete annihilation.

This is often a time when even meat-eaters have a vegetarian meal.

Here’s a salad that would be a delicious starter to any meal, vegetarian or not (the grated cheese is optional). It also makes a nice transition dish to spring — it’s coming!! Serve this dish at room temperature.

Green Bean Salad with Orange

• 1/2 pound green beans

• 1/3 cup chopped red onion

• 1 orange, peeled; segments cut into pieces

• 2 tablespoons olive oil

• 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar

• 1 tablespoon Balsamic vinegar

• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary

• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese or ground almonds, optional

Cook the green beans until they are just fork tender, drain under cold water and let dry on paper towels. Place the green beans in a bowl and add the red onion and orange pieces. Pour in the olive oil and toss the ingredients to coat them with the oil. Pour in the white wine vinegar and Balsamic vinegar and add the rosemary. Toss the ingredients to coat and distribute them evenly. Sprinkle with cheese or nuts if desired. Let rest for 10-15 minutes before serving.

Makes 4 servings

Shortbread Hamantashen

I was heartbroken when my favorite bakery, the one that had the best hamantashen ever, closed a few years ago. It was The Bakery, in Plainview, Long Island, across the street from my contact lens eye doctor. They also had the best Mandel bread and the best Russian coffeecake, babka (both cinnamon and chocolate) and almond horns.

Also Jewish corn bread. And Chinese cookies.

I would call them in advance to place an order and after the visit to the eye doctor, would go get my stash, place it all (except for one hamantashen) in the trunk of my car and head home to Connecticut. I bought two freezer shelves worth, which was enough for six months (to time the next doctor visit).

I now buy hamantashen at Cafe Dolce, in Norwalk, CT. They’re awesome, like from The Bakery. Similar dough, same apricot and prune lekvar filling (but alas, no Mandel bread, babka, etc.)

Every year I bake a new hamantashen recipe to see how close I can come to those memorable ones. This year I came really close — these have a soft, crumbly, flavorful dough with just a hint of citrus. There’s a good balance of dough to filling. Lekvar of course. I didn’t have any jarred lekvar so I made my own (recipe is below the recipe for hamantashen, although I have made lekvar before using the recipe here.

But - this is a dairy recipe. My next venture is to try this dough using vegetable shortening. I’ll let you know how it turns out,

Meantime, these are delicious. All my tasters have said so.

Shortbread Hamantashen

• 2 cups all-purpose flour

• 2 teaspoons grated orange or lemon zest

• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 10 tablespoons butter (or 2/3 cup shortening or a mixture of shortening and coconut oil)

• 1/2 cup sugar

• 1 large egg

• lekvar (about half cup) or other filling

Combine the flour, orange zest, baking powder and salt in a bowl and set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer (or use a food processor) beat the butter and sugar together at medium speed for 2-3 minutes or until thoroughly combined. Add the egg and beat the ingredients to blend it in. Add the flour mixture and mix for 2-3 minutes until a soft, slightly sticky dough forms. Wrap the dough and refrigerate for 35-40 minutes or until cool. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Roll the dough on a floured surface to a thickness between 1/8-inch to 1/4-inch. Cut out circles with a 3-inch cookie cutter. Place a heaping teaspoon of lekvar in the center of each circle. Pinch the sides to close the filling and shape into a triangle. Pinch tight so the cookies won’t open during baking. Place the cookies on the prepared baking sheet. Refrigerate again for at least 30 minutes. Bake for about 18 minutes or until beginning to brown.

Makes about 18

Prune Lekvar

• 1/2 pound pitted prunes

• 1 cup orange juice

• 2 tablespoons honey or brown sugar

• 1 tablespoon lemon juice

Place the prunes, juice and honey in a saucepan, bring to a boil over low heat, lower the heat to a simmer, cover the pan and cook for about 20 minutes until the prunes are very soft. Puree the ingredients. Stir in the lemon juice.

Makes about 2 cups

Banana Muffins with Oat Streusel

It may be a new year but some things never change.

I bought too many bananas again and I cannot bring myself to throw away good, usable food.

So I made Banana Muffins with Oat Streusel.

Bringing them to a friend.

Remember these — not just a good breakfast, brunch or nosh — they make perfect mishoach manot for Purim (begins at sundown on February 25th).

BANANA MUFFINS WITH OAT STREUSEL

Muffins: 

• 1-3/4 cups flour

• 1 teaspoon baking soda

• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

• 3/4 teaspoon salt

• 1 teaspoon cinnamon

• 3 very ripe bananas, mashed

• 3/4 cup buttermilk or sour milk

• 1/4 cup honey

• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil

• 1 large egg

• 1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

• streusel

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Lightly grease 10 muffin tins. Mix the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon in a bowl. In a separate bowl, mix the bananas, buttermilk, honey, vegetable oil, egg and vanilla extract. Add the liquid ingredients to the dry ones and mix only long enough to combine thoroughly. Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin tins. Scatter the streusel evenly on top of each muffin. Bake for 22-25 minutes or until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean.

Makes 10

Streusel: 

• 3 tablespoons flour

• 2 tablespoons old fashioned oats

• 2 tablespoons sugar

• 1 tablespoon butter

In a bowl, mix the flour, oats and sugar. Cut the butter into small pieces and work into the flour mixture with your fingers until the mixture is crumbly. Set aside.

Cheese Strudel

In our family, there are always latkes for Hanukkah.

SERIOUSLY! WOULD THERE EVER BE ANY DOUBT ABOUT THAT?!

But also, we always have some dish that includes cheese, to honor Judith, who played a major part in the Maccabee victory. You can read all about it here.

Most often I make cheese-filled blintzes, because … blintzes! One of man/womankind’s all-time favorite foods. One of my favorites, anyway.

When I am feeling even more ambitious, I make potato-cheese kreplach. Boy do I LOVE those! In fact, they are on my list of top-five foods of all time.

But this year, the dairy dish will be cheese strudel because this coming Sunday (December 13th) I am giving a Zoom demo of Hanukkah foods for my local Hadassah chapter and one of the recipes I am making will be cheese strudel. My husband and I will have some of it for dessert and then I will have the leftovers to stash away for New Year’s, when my cousins come after they have quarantined so they can be with us! New Year’s Eve might seem normal this year!

Cheese strudel — for Hanukkah. For New Year’s. Whenever!

Cheese Strudel 

• 10 sheets phyllo dough

• 3-4 tablespoons butter

• 1-1/2 cups farmer cheese

• 4 ounces cream cheese

• 1/3 cup sour cream

• 1/2 cup sugar

• 1 large egg yolk

• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

• 1/2 teaspoon grated lemon peel

• 3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

• 1/4 teaspoon salt

• 1/3-1/2 cup raisins, optional

• 3 tablespoons bread crumbs, approximately

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Open the package of phyllo dough and cover the sheets with a barely moist kitchen towel. Melt the butter and keep warm over low heat. Place the farmer cheese, cream cheese, sour cream, sugar, egg yolk, flour, lemon peel, vanilla extract, salt and raisins, if used, in a bowl and mix to combine the ingredients. Place one sheet of phyllo dough on a work surface and brush lightly with some of the melted butter. Sprinkle with some bread crumbs (about 1/2 tablespoon). Layer a second sheet of phyllo on top, Lightly brush with butter, sprinkle with some bread crumbs and repeat for a third and fourth layer. Add a final fifth sheet on top. Spoon half the cheese mixture down the long side of the phyllo sheet leaving about one inch on each end. Roll the dough over the cheese and finish rolling, jellyroll style until the roll is complete. Place the roll, seam side down. On the parchment lined baking sheet. Repeat with another five sheets of phyllo and the remaining cheese mixture. Place the second roll on the baking sheet. Brush the surface of the rolls with remaining butter. Chill for about one hour. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Bake for about 30 minutes or until golden brown.

Makes 2 rolls, each serving 4-6 people

Quinoa, Turkey and Veggie Stuffed Peppers

My grandma made stuffed peppers for Sukkot. Unfortunately they weren’t my favorite dish because bell peppers and my stomach don’t get along, even when I was a kid.

But I did love what she put on the insides. It was sort of a Turkish-style filling. The family wasn’t Turkish, they were from Romania, which was part of the Ottoman Empire when she was a girl, and a lot of the food she made was influenced by the fabulous cuisine of Turkey.

I realized later in life that using red, orange and yellow peppers made all the difference to my digestive system. They are much easier going down than the green ones my grandma always used! So, I’ve made and enjoyed her recipe from time to time over the years.

But this year I decided on a whole new stuffing based on quinoa instead of rice. It’s nothing like grandma’s but is very tasty and it reminds me of her anyway.

Veggie and Quinoa Stuffed Peppers

• 4 large bell peppers

• 1/4 cup quinoa

• 1/2 cup chicken or vegetable stock or water

• 2 tablespoons olive oil

• 2 chopped carrots

• 1 medium onion, chopped

• 1 large clove garlic, chopped

• 1 cup ground veal, beef or turkey

• 2 packed cups chopped spinach

• 1 cup corn kernels

• 2 large eggs

• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme

• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Cut the top of the peppers to remove about 1/2-inch from the top. Reserve the caps. Reach inside the peppers and remove the stringy flesh and the seeds. Place the peppers open side up in a large pot. Fill the peppers with water, then carefully fill the pot with water to cover the peppers. Bring the water to a boil over high heat. Cover the pan. Reduce the heat to medium. Cook for 3-4 minutes. Remove the peppers with a slotted spoon and let cool. Place the quinoa and stock in a saucepan, bring to a boil over high heat, reduce the heat to low, cover the pan and cook for about 15 minutes or until all the liquid has been absorbed and the quinoa is fluffy. Set aside. Heat the olive oil in a sauté pan over medium heat. Add the carrots, onion and garlic and cook for 3-4 minutes, to soften them slightly. Add the veal and spinach and cook, breaking the meat into smaller pieces, for 3-4 minutes or until no longer pink. Remove the pan from the heat. Stir in the corn and quinoa and stir to distribute the ingredients evenly. Mix in the eggs, thyme and salt and pepper to taste. Spoon equal amounts of the mixture inside the peppers. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 25 minutes. Remove the cover and bake for another 10-15 minutes or until the peppers are tender.

Makes 4

Greens with Figs and Roasted Hazelnuts

I find it incredibly sad that Ed and I will not be able to host our annual Break-the-Fast. Our group has been gathering together for what seems like forever, and unlike all the other holidays which we celebrate with family, our Yom Kippur break-the-fast included friends from our synagogue and community, people who got together, just for this occasion.

I can’t even remember when we started.

Decades ago.

Not everyone who came had fasted, but we had all done something — skipped breakfast or not had carbs or not had coffee — that reminded us to be mindful about the joy and meaning behind celebrating the new year as well as looking back on what had happened the year before, who we needed to be better to, what we needed to be better at. The Break-the-fast marked a real beginning.

But now we can’t begin because the end of what has brought us to this place doesn’t seem anywhere in sight.

Virtual break-the-fast just doesn’t cut it for me.

I will miss the food too. Our meal is always vegetarian/dairy. No fish because my daughter is allergic. Our must-haves have always been mujadarah, eggplant-mashed potato gratin, my friend Susan’s kugel, a giant challah. And much more, with some changes over the years.

Dessert of course.

But this year it’s just the two of us, so dinner will be salad and roasted salmon.

But ——— even with all the trials and tribulations of the past year as well as the health concerns and social unrest that continue into 5781, I try to be grateful. For my family, friends, my life.

As for food? It will be different this one year. Fortunately, fresh figs are now available! (But only for a short time — one of those get-them-while-you-can items.) Ed and I both love them and I’ve already made several recipes using both green and black figs.

But this salad is the fig dish I’ll be serving post Yom Kippur. It’s easy, festive enough for a holiday meal and easy on the stomach after not eating for a while.

Greens with Figs and Roasted Hazelnuts

• 6 fresh figs

• 2 tablespoons olive oil plus extra for coating the figs

• 3 tablespoons coarsely chopped hazelnuts

• 3 packed cups mixed soft greens such as spinach, frisee, Bibb lettuce, washed and dried

• 2-3 teaspoons white wine vinegar

• salt and freshly ground black pepper

• Parmesan cheese

Preheat an outdoor grill or oven broiler. Brush the figs with a thin film of olive oil and cut them in half. Place them, flesh side down, on a parchment lined baking sheet. Broil for about 5 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove the figs and set them aside. OR: grill them on an outdoor grill. Place the hazelnuts on the baking sheet and broil them for a minute or two to toast them lightly (or bake in a preheated 400 degree oven for 5-6 minutes). Remove the nuts and set aside. Place the greens in a bowl. Pour in the 2 tablespoons olive oil and toss to coat the leaves. Add 2 teaspoons wine vinegar and toss, taste and add the additional vinegar if desired. Add the figs and nuts, toss, taste and add salt and pepper to taste. Grate or shave Parmesan cheese over the greens and serve.

Makes 2 servings

Beet Salad with Pepitas

Lucky me!

My entire Rosh Hashanah celebration has changed for the better. I thought it would just be Ed and me, attending Zoom services and sharing a meal for two.

But my kids and grandkids are coming too! We will watch outdoors on the patio. And be together —- sort of — for a meal! Each family will have a separate place to eat.

I can’t tell you how thrilled I am, even though it won’t be normal and we can’t hug and kiss. But it’s something. And I am grateful.

Instead of the chicken dish I was planning to make, it’s going to be food for a family, not just the two of us: brisket (I was finally able to get one) and a turkey breast plus several sides, including this beet salad, which I can make in advance and scatter with seeds at the last minute.

This is better than the original plan. For sure.

Beet Salad with Pepitas

• 3 large beets, trimmed

• 3 scallions, chopped (or one large shallot or 1/3-1/2 cup chopped red onion)

• 2 tablespoons olive oil

• 3 tablespoons orange juice

• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint

• 1 teaspoon grated fresh orange peel

• salt to taste

• 2 tablespoons toasted pepitas

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Scrub the beets and wrap them tightly in aluminum foil. Roast until tender, about 45-75 minutes, depending on size. Unwrap the beets and when they are cool enough to handle, peel them. Cut the beets into bite size pieces. Place the beet chunks in a bowl. Add the scallions, olive oil, orange juice, mint and orange peel. Toss ingredients. Sprinkle with salt. Let rest for at least 15 minutes before serving. Sprinkle with pepitas. Serve at room temperature. 

Makes 4-6 servings

Back to School? Maybe. But there’s always Milk and Cookies, right?

Back in the day, when I was a young girl, I walked home from school and before I did any homework or piano practice I had a snack. My Mother was a cookie baker so invariably, the snack was milk and cookies. We didn’t have little bags of chips or puffs or granola bars back then.

I remember one time my mother veered away from her usual Fannies, peanut butter cookies and kichels. That was the day I brought my friend Joseph Lieberman (no, not that Joseph Lieberman) home to do homework together. I was happy my Mom had baked something new because Joseph had been to the house several times and maybe he was bored with the same old stuff. I had asked her if, sometime, she could bake something else. And so she did.

She made sugar cookies.

They were a great success. She made them occasionally after that but usually went back to the old favorites.

I’ve made my Mom’s recipe a few times over the years. Depending on the time of year I cut them into different shapes with cookie cutters (Hearts for Valentine’s Day usually).

This isn’t my Mom’s recipe though. I fiddled with it because hers included butter and I wanted to make it non-dairy. Also, I just bought some new jars of date honey (silan) and wanted to use that instead of the regular honey. She also added citrus peel and I didn’t.

But it is more or less her recipe.

Whether or not our children actually go back to school this season, milk and cookies is always a good treat.

In addition, these cookies, with the traditional holiday dates and honey, are a delicious choice for Rosh Hashanah (whether you use old fashioned honey or silan).

Shanah Tovah.

Date Honey Sugar Cookies

• 1/2 cup vegetable shortening

• 1/2 cup solid coconut oil

• 3/4 cup sugar

• 1/4 cup date honey

• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

• 1 large egg

• 1 large egg yolk

• 3 cups all-purpose flour

• 2 teaspoons baking powder

• 1-1/2 teaspoons cornstarch

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

• Confectioners’ sugar

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Combine the shortening, coconut oil, sugar, honey and vanilla extract and beat at medium speed for 3-4 minutes or until light and fluffy. Add the egg and egg yolk and beat at medium speed for 1-2 minutes or until well blended. In a separate bowl combine the flour, baking powder, cornstarch, salt and cinnamon. Add the dry ingredients to the honey mixture and beat at medium speed until a soft dough forms. Roll the dough on a floured surface to 1/8-inch thickness. Cut out shapes with 2-inch round or heart-shaped cookie cutters. Place the cookies prepared cookie sheet. Bake for about 12 minutes or until the edges are lightly brown. Let cool. Sprinkle with confectioners’ sugar.

Makes about 36