Passover Recipes and Strategies

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Triplestep
Triplestep Posts: 239 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Calling all MOTs! :smile: What are you making for Seder? What are your strategies for being guests at other people's Seders?

We are guests the first night and hosting the second. At our house, we typically include roasted veggies, and I may look for something made with sweet potatoes. But most other choices seem so high in fat and carbs.

On both nights I'll be saving calories for chicken soup and kneidlach; I like gefilte fish and eggs, but I won't mind skipping them.

What are you all doing?

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  • ilfaith
    ilfaith Posts: 16,770 Member
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    I am cooking both nights. (Why do I do this to myself?) Friday I am roasting a turkey, serving matzo ball soup (the stock is simmering now), and will make a farfel kugel (probably the least healthy dish on the menu) carrot soufflé (because it's my kids' favorite...this year I am attempting to make it with "healthy" coconut oil to keep it parve, since there was no kosher for passover margarine to be found and my husband doesn't like to mix meat and dairy...although we don't keep kosher year-round). I'll make candied sweet potatoes (because they are MY favorite, and I like them better than tzimes)...and a green salad. For Saturday I am making apricot chicken breasts and a brisket (because these can be done in advance and I have two little league games back to back Saturday...yikes!) Oven roasted potatoes. some sort of vegetable (broccoli, asparagus, spinach?), a quinoa pilaf, plus whatever leftovers we have from the night before (I have a bigger crowd coming on Saturday). I know one family is bringing a fruit salad and others are bringing sides/desserts.

    Of course we will also serve the traditional gefilte fish and charoset (my next project as soon as I get off the computer).

    As far as making healthy choices, I'd just stick with the lean meats and veggies as much as possible. But it's two nights out of the year, and I don't mind indulging a little when I know I'll be eating low-carb the rest of the week (I really don't like matzo...but it seems Passover is a perfect time to experiment with "cloud bread".)
  • jodi3357
    jodi3357 Posts: 34 Member
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    Long time Jew, first time making passover. Matzo balls came out great. Salad, green bean casserole ( for my family ) and meat. My problem is the macaroons, they get me every time. ....
  • Triplestep
    Triplestep Posts: 239 Member
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    Happy this thread got responses; I'd kind of given up hope when it rolled off the first page!

    @ilfaith, why DO you do that to yourself, lol! Your menu sounds delicious, and so traditional! It's funny, we don't keep kosher the rest of the year either, and I never even heard of "kosher style" until I left home to go to college. (I was raised that you were either kosher or not kosher; nothing in between.) But lately I've started to come around to your husband's way of thinking for holiday meals. My husband makes a brisket, so I try to keep dairy out of everything else. This year I made this Crispy Potato Leek Kugel; You can read my review of how it came out (same user name.)

    @jodi3357, Kudos to you for taking on Passover preparations for the first time! It does get easier. Things I used to forget I do as soon as I wake up the morning of Passover, like make salt water and roast an egg. I have a problem with macaroons as well - my husband found some that are *carrot cake flavor*, and for me that's an added layer of gets-me-every-time.

    While cleaning out my cabinets for Passover, I came across a lot of opened packages mixed nuts. I have a tendency to buy them if I get hungry while I'm out shopping, but then I don't finish them. (If I'm at home or able to plan better, then nuts aren't my goto snack.) So into the charoset they went! I also used coconut sugar and stevia with the Manaschewitz and cinnamon. It came out well, and I sent most of it home with guests so it won't be sitting around the house calling to me.

    I made chicken soup with matzo balls and roasted vegetables. Dessert was flourless chocolate cake, sliced fresh strawberries, store-bought macaroons, and ... Afikoman :smile:

    Except for sweets, I'm not much of a carb craver, so I doubt I'll eat a lot of matzo this week. Lots of things that were previously considered chametz are actually kosher for passover this year, so I guess I'll have to re-read my ingredient lists on things like flavored yogurts, etc. before assuming they're off-limits.
  • chimaerandi
    chimaerandi Posts: 153 Member
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    My family always goes nuts for Passover, Seder is one of three days a year I don't even track ahahah. We live in a rural area, so we actually know a guy who raises lambs and ended up with some INCREDIBLE lamb.
  • ilfaith
    ilfaith Posts: 16,770 Member
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    Didn't make the candied sweet potatoes (mainly because I like to make them with butter and didn't know if they'd be as good with the coconut oil...although the coconut oil worked quite well in the carrot soufflé)..instead I roasted a mix of sweet potatoes, regular potatoes, and butternut squash, drizzled with a little olive oil and sweetened with onion soup mix and rosemary.

    Made this spring vegetable quinoa pilaf
    http://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/spring-vegetable-and-quinoa-pilaf
    ...which I then forgot to place on the table. Didn't notice it sitting on the counter in the kitchen until I was ready to serve dessert. Had some for lunch today and it was yummy. Guess I'll be eating it all week.

    My brisket was a hit...it's the one thing I didn't taste since I don't eat red meat. But there wasn't much leftover.

    If anyone wants macaroons, I have a ton. My friend who brought dessert made a homemade version...and although I ate one to be polite, I really don't like coconut (more the texture than taste)
  • raizelchaya
    raizelchaya Posts: 54 Member
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    I am Jewish and would love for all of you to "friend" me!

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