Passover, a pivotal Jewish festival, commemorates the exodus of the Israelites from Egypt. This year, in 2023, let's delve into the joy of Passover with some innovative recipes to add zest to your festive meal. Here are five must-try recipes that will leave your guests pleasantly surprised and satiated.
1. Vegan Matzo Ball Soup
Embark on a flavorful journey with this vegan twist on the traditional matzo ball soup, perfect for those avoiding animal products or just looking to mix things up.
- Ingredients:
- 1 cup of matzo meal
- ¼ cup of vegetable broth
- 2 tbsp of olive oil
- 2 tbsp of ground flaxseed
- 1 tbsp of water
- 1 tsp of salt
- 1 tsp of baking powder
- Dill and chives for flavor
- 8 cups of vegetable stock
- 2 carrots, sliced
- 1 parsnip, diced
- 1 celery stalk, chopped
- Instructions:
- Combine matzo meal, baking powder, salt, dill, and chives in a bowl.
- Mix flaxseed with water and let sit to thicken.
- Add vegetable broth and olive oil to the flaxseed mixture, then blend with dry ingredients to form dough.
- Form balls from the dough and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- Simmer vegetable stock with vegetables for 15 minutes.
- Add matzo balls, cover, and cook for 20 minutes.
✨ Note: For a richer flavor, consider adding a tablespoon of soy sauce to your vegetable stock.
2. Braised Beef Brisket with Horseradish Cream
Nothing says tradition like a delicious beef brisket, but this recipe kicks it up with a horseradish cream that’s both spicy and refreshing.
- Ingredients:
- 3-4 lbs beef brisket
- 2 onions, sliced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 cups beef broth
- 1 cup red wine
- 3 tbsp tomato paste
- Thyme, rosemary, and bay leaf for seasoning
- Horseradish for cream sauce
- Instructions:
- Sear the brisket until browned on all sides.
- In the same pot, sauté onions and garlic until translucent.
- Add broth, wine, tomato paste, and herbs. Return the brisket, cover, and bake at 325°F for 3-4 hours.
- Once tender, slice and serve with a horseradish cream made from grated horseradish, sour cream, lemon juice, and salt.
🌟 Note: The key to tender brisket is low and slow cooking; don’t rush the process.
3. Sweet Potato and Fig Fattoush Salad
Introduce a vibrant, colorful salad to your Seder table with this Middle Eastern-inspired dish.
- Ingredients:
- 2 sweet potatoes, roasted and diced
- 1⁄4 cup dried figs, chopped
- 1 cucumber, diced
- 1 tomato, diced
- 1⁄4 red onion, thinly sliced
- Pita bread, toasted and crumbled
- Mint and parsley, finely chopped
- Lemon juice, olive oil, sumac, and za’atar for dressing
- Instructions:
- Roast sweet potatoes at 425°F until tender.
- Mix the roasted sweet potatoes with figs, cucumber, tomato, onion, and pita pieces.
- Drizzle with a dressing made from lemon juice, olive oil, sumac, za’atar, salt, and pepper. Toss well.
- Top with herbs and serve.
4. Matzo Brei with Smoked Salmon
This traditional dish gets a gourmet touch with the addition of smoked salmon.
- Ingredients:
- 4 sheets of matzo
- 4 eggs
