MIX AND MATCH PASSOVER MENU
March 15, 2021 | holidays
This is my first official blog post since COVID has hit the world. With us all being in isolation, we will have to be away from our extended families this Passover. So I’ve had a bunch of requests for seder menu ideas and recipes from people who will be making their own little seder, many for the first time. I decided instead of sending recipes to my friends, I would put together a blog post to share with the larger community. We are all sadly going to be separated from our extended families, but so many still want to keep the tradition as best they can, which will look different for everyone. Even if there are so many versions of this, I think the idea of maintaining a a resemblance of a tradition amongst a difficult time is really beautiful.
If you have nothing planned, don’t stress, don’t feel like you have to do something, because you don’t. I created this for those who wanted to make a seder dinner, have the time to make it and just needed the ideas and planning because that is the hard part for them. But if you want to put in a tiny bit of effort, all you need is a seder plate (or a make shift seder plate) and a standard dinner. But I wanted to give you something that felt a little bit more special. I side step from what you usually do and I will remove all of the thinking! But you still have to do the work! If cooking for passover is too daunting this year and frankly you just don’t have the time or energy, then think about just incorporating what you can. The whole point is that there is no right way to do this!
There are obviously tons of Passover recipes available online already. But I wanted to bring you a Foodhome Co. style seder menu – simple, easy and yummy. Truth is, I have never made a seder before. We have a very large family and always take part in seders on both sides which range from 20-50 people. So this will be the first seder I have ever made. We are going to keep things very simple and casual and I think I will just do a few of the items. But most importantly, we will involve the kids and the plan is to do a family Zoom so that we can be connected. That’s all that matters.
This is us at our 2017 seder. It is crazy looking back at how we would have felt then versus now. The world felt very different. And Chase is just a little baby, omg!
I am going to give you a bit of a run down before you go through the menu.
1 – Some of these items can be made in advance and frozen prior to the seder. These are – matzah ball soup, sweet and sour meatballs, matzah crunch and brownies.
2 – I have designed the menu as a mix and match, so no you do not have to make the entire menu. Obviously most if you are going to be a group of 6 max, so this would be way more food than you will need. What I recommend doing is picking 1-2 items per category, just like in a restaurant. I did it this way because it is a special holiday, so I wanted you to be able to create a special menu for your family. Also, if you decide to go with more items, keep in mind those will last you throughout the week which means less cooking over the days following the seder!
3 – I have included every recipe in this post as opposed to linking to various pages. I wanted to make things easy for you! So I would recommend printing off this entire post. That will make your life easier. Even if you only use a few of these recipes, you will likely want to make them another time anyway!
4 – All of my recipes are very simple. Nothing here is intimidating, I promise. Read through, enjoy and have fun!
THE PASSOVER MENU
Starters:
Carrots, Celery & Pickles to Accompany Seder Plate
Matzah, Charoset & Hard Boiled Eggs
Old Fashioned Chicken Soup
Avocado Mandarin Salad
Mains:
Rainbow Potato Chip Chicken Fingers
Fall off the Bone Miami Ribs
Grandma Phyllis’s Jewish Sweet & Sour Meatballs
Sheet-Pan Salmon with Broccolini
Sides:
Vegan Chive Mashed Potatoes
Maple Roasted Acorn Squash
Crispy Brussels Sprouts
Desserts:
Almond Flour Fudge Brownies
Matzah Crunch – 2 Ways
THE RECIPES
Starters
OLD FASHIONED CHICKEN SOUP
This recipe was adapted from my Aunty Janice who always makes the best chicken soup. I took her recipe a made a few tweaks here and there over the years. It is simple, easy and delish. You don’t have to use chicken legs, can truly use any parts – just bones, thighs, etc. Just make sure there are bones! I use legs because that works well for me.
INGREDIENTS
• 8-10 chicken legs
• 2 whole onions, peeled
• 3 Carrots
• 2-3 Parsnips
• 3 Celery stalks
• 1/2 bunch of parsley (curly)
• 2, 4.5 g sachets / cubes OXO chicken bouillion
• Salt and pepper to taste
DIRECTIONS
1. Place chicken in a large pot and fill with cold water, leaving 2 inches at the
top so the soup won’t boil over.
2. Cover the pot partially with lid and bring the water to a low boil (just below a
rolling boil.)
3. Take the foam off the top with a spoon and discard it. Add remainder of
ingredients. Turn heat down to a simmer and keep lid partially on.
-Note: You will need to season with salt as you go. Taste and add throughout the cooking process. You will need more than you think.
4. Skim top several times in the first 30 minutes. Do not pour down drain as
this foam contains fat which can clog your drain. Instead, put paper towel in
a bowl and pour foam into there – once finished you can dump into garbage.
5. Keep soup at a simmer. Adjust the heat if necessary to keep the soup at a
simmer. Cook for approximately 3 hours.
6. Once cooled, you can pour into jars and refrigerate overnight. Remove fat
from the top the next day and discard.
AVOCADO MANDARIN SALAD
Recipe by: Samantha Goren
INGREDIENTS
• Romaine, chopped
• 1 can mandarin oranges, drained & rinsed
• 1 avocado, sliced
• 1/2 cup green onion, sliced
• 1/2 cup slivered almonds (roasted)
DRESSING
• 4.5 Tbsp rice vinegar
• 1.5 Tbsp soy sauce
• 2 Tbsp honey
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1-1.5 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tsp sea salt
DIRECTIONS
1. Arrange lettuce and green onions in bowl.
2. Top with mandarins, avocado and sprinkle with almonds. Reserve some topping to add on top after dressing.
3. Add dressing ingredients into a jar and shake vigorously. Top salad with
dressing, toss and serve.
Mains
RAINBOW CHICKEN FINGERS
Recipe by: Samantha Goren
INGREDIENTS
• 1 bag Terra chips Original and 1 bag Terra chips Sweet Potato (mixed)
• 4 chicken breasts, cut into strips
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1-2 Tbsp. Oil
DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 400 ‘F
2. Line 2 cookie sheet with foil and spray with a little bit of oil.
3. Pour chips into ziploc bag and use a can or a heavy glass to crush into fairly small pieces
(about the size of Panko crumbs)
4. Set up 1 bowl with egg, 1 with crumbs and cookie sheets.
5. Make sure you only add a little bit of crumbs to the bowl at a time, so you can replenish
with fresh (dry) crumbs.
6. Using a fork (to keep hands dry), dip each piece of chicken into egg and then drop into
crumbs. Use clean hand to cover chicken with crumbs.
7. Place each piece on cookie sheet and repeat.
8. Spray chicken with a little bit of oil.
9. Bake for 20-25 min. Put one cookie sheet on 2nd rack and the other on bottom rack. Rotate
cookie sheets half-way through.
10. Great served with Thai chilli sauce (for adults) and plum sauce (for kids).
SWEET SOY MIAMI RIBS
INGREDIENTS
• 3 lbs Miami ribs (Korean-style short ribs)
• 1 cup soy sauce
• 1 cup water
• 1/4 cup rice vinegar
• 2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 1 Tbsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1 white onion, peeled and sliced into rings
DIRECTIONS
1. Coat a baking dish with olive oil and add ribs.
2. Slice onion into rings and set aside.
3. Add remaining ingredients to a measuring cup or mixing bowl and mix well.
4. Top Miami ribs with onion rings.
5. Pour sauce over Miami ribs, move them around a bit to ensure they’re all covered.
6. Cover with foil and let marinate for 1 hour, or up to 24 hours (I do 1 hour). Make sure to
leave them at room temperate for 1 hour before they go into oven! So, if you’re only
marinating for 1 hour, don’t bother refrigerating.
7. Preheat oven to 350 F and bake for about 1.5 hours. Uncover and bake for an additional
20 minutes, basting (spoon juices and pour on top) every so often.
GRANDMA PHYLLIS’S SWEET AND SOUR MEATBALLS
Recipe by: Samantha Goren
INGREDIENTS:
Meatballs:
1.5 lbs ground chicken
1.5 lbs ground veal
2 eggs
2 cloves garlic, minced
4-5 Tbsp matzo meal
Salt and pepper
Sauce:
3 cups ketchup
4 cups ginger ale
1 Tbsp honey
Juice form 1/2 lemon
INSTRUCTIONS:
- Combine meatball ingredients and form into 1 inch balls.
- Combine ketchup and ginger ale in pot, bring to boil.
- Drop meatballs into sauce, cover, summer for 2 hours.
- 10 min before finished, add lemon juice and honey.
Tips: wet hands to shape meatballs easily. Don’t over mix meat mixture or meatballs will be tough. Freezes very well.
SHEET PAN SALMON
Recipe modified from: The Feed Feed
INGREDIENTS
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 2 bunches of broccolini
• . red onion, peeled and cut into eighths
• 1 lemon, slices (thin)
• 4 lbs. salmon, 1 piece or cut into individual pieces
• 1 Tbsp. paprika or smoked paprika (if kids are eating, stick with regular paprika)
• 2 tsp Red pepper flakes (optional)
• Salt & pepper to taste
• chives, chopped
DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
2. Heat butter in saucepan to melt.
3. Scatter veggies and lemon on large rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with half of melted butter and
season with salt and pepper. Place in oven for 10-15 minutes.
4. Combine paprika, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper in a small bowl and rub over salmon.
5. Remove baking sheet from oven and create a space for the salmon by pushing everything to the edges (salmon should not be on top of veggies).
Sides
VEGAN CHIVE MASHED POTATOES
Recipe by: Samantha Goren
INGREDIENTS
• 3 Yellow potatoes, cut into eighths
• 3-4 tbsp Chives, chopped
• . – 1/3 cup Olive oil
• salt & pepper to taste
DIRECTIONS
1. Fill pot with water and bring to a boil.
2. Boil potatoes for approximately 15 min or until soft when pierced with fork.
3. Strain potatoes and put into a bowl.
4. Add olive oil, chives, salt, pepper and mix.
5. Note: you will want to add enough olive oil until you read a “creamy” consistency.
MAPLE ROASTED ACORN SQUASH
Recipe by: Samantha Goren
INGREDIENTS
• 1 Acorn Squash
• Olive oil
• Maple syrup
• Salt & pepper
DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Cut squash in half, scoop out flesh and slice into 1/2 inch moons.
3. Cover large cookie sheet with parchment paper and add squash in a single layer.
4. Drizzle with olive oil, a tiny drizzle of maple syrup and season with salt & pepper.
5. Bake for 20 min (or until fork tender), then broil for 3 min.
Eat as is or can be an amazing addition to any salad!
CRISPY BRUSSELS SPROUTS
Recipe by: Samantha Goren
INGREDIENTS
• 1 pound Brussels sprouts, washed and dried
• 2 tsp honey
• Olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste
DRESSING
• 1 Tbsp rice wine vinegar
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
•1 tsp honey
DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Trim the ends off of the Brussels sprouts so that the leaves begin to fall off.
3. Peel away any leaves that naturally separate from the hearts.
4. Place the leaves on a sheet-pan, drizzle with olive oil, honey and season with
salt and pepper to taste. Toss until all leaves are lightly coated. Spread out evenly on sheet-pan.
5. Take out a second sheet pan and spread the hearts on it. Repeat seasoning as above with the leaves. Spread out evenly on sheet-pan. Alternatively, if you have a very large sheet pan, you could put them all onto one, with the leaves on half and the hearts on the other half.
6. Place the sheet-pans in the oven. After about 10 minutes, check the leaves and remove when crispy.
7. Continue to roast the hearts for about 15 to 20 more minutes more, until browned and tender.
8. When hearts are done, combine with leaves in serving dish, toss, drizzle with a
little bit of the dressing. You can also do without the dressing, they’re still delicious!
Desserts
MATZAH CRUNCH – 2 WAYS
Modified from recipe by: Tori Avey
Ingredients:
- 4-6 unsalted matzah
- 1 cup unsalted butter or margarine (butter recommended)
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1 1/4 cups semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips
- Large flake sea salt (such as Maldon salt)
- Sprinkles
Instructions:
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line a cookie sheet with a layer of foil, then cover the foil with a sheet of parchment. Evenly cover the sheet tray with matzah. Break or cut the matzah into smaller pieces if necessary to fit into the entire pan.
- In a saucepan, combine the butter, brown sugar and a punch of seas salt. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until the mixture comes to a boil (about 2 to 4 minutes). Boil for 3 additional minutes and continue stirring constantly.
- Remove from the heat and pour the toffee mixture over the matzah.
- Use a spatula to spread evenly across the entire surface of the matzah. Make sure you spread it out quickly or it will start to get sticky and become harder to smooth over.
- Place the baking sheet in the oven and immediately reduce the heat to 350 degrees F. Bake for 15 minutes. Check frequently to be sure that the mixture is not burning.
- Once 15 minutes have passed, remove the matzah from the oven and evenly sprinkle with chocolate chips.
- Let stand for 5 minutes, then spread the chocolate over the matzo, smoothing it out nicely. Don’t spread too much or you will ruin the finish of the chocolate.
- Sprinkle with toppings: half of the matzah with sprinkles and the other half with large flaked sea salt.
- While the matzos are still a bit warm, break them into smaller pieces.
- Place in the freezer until the topping has set. Serve straight from the freezer, chilled, or at room temperature.
ALMOND FLOUR FUDGE BROWNIES
Recipe by: Emily Farris for Food & Wine
Ingredients:
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup almond flour
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
3 eggs
1 cup sugar
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 tsp espresso powder (optional)
Instructions:
1. Preheat the oven to 350º. Place the butter and chocolate chips in a large glass bowl over a pot of gently boiling water. Whisk together until the butter and chocolate are melted and well combined. Set aside and let cool for five minutes.
2. In a bowl, whisk together the almond flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, sugar and vanilla.
3. Whisk the cooled chocolate and butter mixture into the egg and sugar mixture. When combined, mix into the dry ingredients. Pour into a buttered 8-by-8-inch baking pan and bake for 25 minutes.
Enjoy and Happy Pesach to everyone! If you try this out please share and tag me! I would absolutely love to see your creations!
xx Sammy
