Matzo Meal Pancakes with Blueberries

I love that matzo meal is slightly, vaguely grainy. It gives pancakes an entirely different texture. Sometimes I make them plain, sometimes with some fresh fruit, like these, with blueberries. I like them sprinkled with cinnamon sugar, but sour cream, maple syrup, jam are all fine.

Matzo Meal pancakes with Blueberries

• 2 large eggs

• 1 cup milk, approximately

• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

• 1 cup matzo meal

• 1/4 cup sugar

• pinch of salt

• 1 cup blueberries

• butter

Place the eggs, milk and vanilla extract in a bowl and whisk them together until blended. Add the matzo meal, sugar, and salt and mix until well blended. Fold in the blueberries. Add more milk if the mixture seems too thick and dry — it should be the consistency of pancake batter. Heat some butter in a saute pan over medium heat. When the butter has melted and looks foamy, drop some of the matzo mixture into the pan. Fry for about 1-1/ 2 to 2 minutes per side, or until lightly browned on both sides. Add more butter to the pan if needed.

Makes about 12

My Grandma's Chremslach

Chremslach

Over the years our Seder dinner has changed from time to time, mindful of newcomers to the family or accommodating the people who are vegetarian or who have allergies and so on.

But one dish has been a constant, from the time the Seders were at my grandma’s house, through the years when my mother hosted, continuing through when it was my turn: Chremslach. My grandma’s recipe for honey drenched matzo fritters.

This year, for the first time, one of my daughters is taking over. I’m thrilled for us and for her, to pass the torch, though, truth be told, a little sad too.

I will bring the Chremslach.

L’dor v’dor.

CHREMSLACH

• 3 large eggs, separated

• pinch of salt

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil

• 1/4 cup sugar

• 3/4 cup matzo meal

• vegetable oil for frying

• 1 pound honey, approximately

In a bowl, beat the egg yolks, salt and one tablespoon vegetable oil together until well blended. In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites until foamy. Gradually add the 1/4 cup sugar and continue to beat until the whites stand up in peaks. Fold the beaten whites into the egg yolk mixture. Fold in the matzo meal. Let the mixture rest for about 30 minutes (I refrigerate). With cool, wet hands, shape portions of the mixture into disks about 1-1/2-inches in diameter and 1/2-inch thick. Heat about 1/4-inch vegetable oil in a saute pan over medium heat. Fry the disks for 1-2 minutes per side or until golden brown on both sides (you may have to flatten them slightly with a rigid spatula). Drain on paper towels and place the fried disks in a large saucepan. Pour the honey over the disks. Cook over low-medium heat for about 10 minutes or until heated through and all the disks are coated with honey. Serve immediately or make ahead and reheat. Add more honey as tastes dictate.

*You can make these 3-4 days in advance and keep them in the honey — may need more honey as the fritters become soaked. Or you can keep the fritters and honey separate and cook them together just before you serve them. My grandma added 1/2 cup chopped walnuts (I don’t because of nut allergies and actually like them better without).

Makes 10-12 servings

Vegetable Soup Burgers

Veggie Burgers

My daughters are not big meat eaters, so when they were young kids and still living at home, I rarely served beef or veal. One daughter is allergic to fish. So we mostly ate chicken, turkey and carbs.

One of our favorite dinners was chicken and soup plus the leftovers from that dinner. Like chicken pot pie. And best of all, burgers made from the soup vegetables.

Chicken soup burgers was a kid favorite. They still talk about those! And I still make them, year round, just for Ed and me.

Because they are so good.

Of course you can make this a vegetarian meal with regular cooked vegetables not from soup!

But if you are making chicken soup for Passover, here’s a great meal from the veggies you use for flavoring.

You can halve this recipe if you don’t have that many veggies in your soup (I make a ton of soup for Passover).

CHICKEN SOUP BURGERS

• 8 cooked carrots, cut up

• 6 stalks cooked celery, cut up

• 2 cooked parsnips, cut up

• 1 large cooked onion, cut up

• 2-3 sprigs of cooked or fresh dill

• 1 large egg

• 1/2 cup matzo meal

• salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

• vegetable oil

Place the cooked vegetables and dill in a food processor and pulse to combine them and chop them into very fine pieces. Spoon the contents into a bowl. Add the egg, matzo meal and some salt and pepper to taste. Mix thoroughly to combine the ingredients evenly. Shape portions of the mixture into patties about 1/2-inch thick. Heat about 1/4-inch vegetable oil in a saute pan over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot enough to make a crumb sizzle, add the patties, a few at a time, leaving space between them in the pan. Do not crowd the pan. Fry the patties for about 3 minutes per side or until golden brown and crispy. Drain on paper towels.

Makes about 12