Chunky Tsimmes

Although the way I saw this recipe, baby carrots should be used, I find that they don't cook through as well or have as much taste as good larger carrots.

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp vegetable oil

1 small onion chopped

1 pound of carrots

1 pound of sweet potatoes or green beans

2 Tbsp honey

2 tsp grated fresh ginger (or 1/2 tsp ground)

1 Tbsp minced fresh parsley (optional)

Directions:

1)  Heat oil in a  medium saucepan.  Add onions and carrots.  Fry over high heat until onions are beginning to brown, 3-4 minutes.  Reduce heat to medium

2) Stir in honey and ginger.  Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until carrots are tender, about 15 minutes.

3) Before serving, garnish with parsley.  Serve hot.

Matzah Balls

I've been experimenting with Mom's matzah ball recipe for years now.  We all like the 'fluffy', not 'bowling ball' variety, but I find if they are too fluffy, you can barely taste them.  The seltzer is the key to the fluffy part.  This year I combined several different recipes and think I've gotten a good combination of fluff and taste.  See what you think!

Ingredients:

4 eggs
4 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 1/4 to 1 1/2 cups matzah meal
2 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley
1/2 + tsp Kosher salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper
1cup seltzer

Directions:

1)Beat the eggs; add the oil, matzah meal, parsley, seltzer, salt and pepper.  The texture should be almost solid, but not hard.  Refrigerate for a few hours or overnight

2) To prepare the matzah boils, boil a large pot of water with a little salt.  Have a small bowl with a little oil on hand.  Put oil on your hands, remove a one inch round of the mixture, roll in your palms and drop into the water.  Keep repeating the oil and rolling until you've finished the whole batter.  The balls will initially sink to the bottom, then rise as they expand.  Be sure to keep the heat on high enough so they remain floating.  Cook for 30 minutes.

3) Remove the balls with a slotted spoon onto a plate.  Drain water out of the plate as it accumulates.  When cool, place in a container, preferably in a single layer.  Refrigerate until ready to use.  Then remove and place in hot soup and continue to heat until the matzah balls are heated through.

Horseradish

From The Complete Passover Cookbook by Frances AvRutick

An almost foolproof way to prevent 'crying' when preparing horseradish is to do the grating near an open flame.  This recipe is excellent - relatively hot, but sweet at the same time.  Perfect for a Hillel sandwich with charoset on matzah.

Ingredients:

1/2 pound horseradish root, peeled
1 large beet, peeled (optional - only if you want red horseradish)
1/2 cup cider vinegar
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp salt

Directions:

1)  Grate the horseradish root into a medium bowl set near an open flame (at the stove where food is cooking).  For red horseradish, grate the beet into the same bowl.  Transfer the grated horseradish and grated beet to a jar; cover the jar.

2)  In a small bowl, combine the vinegar, water, sugar and salt.  Taste and adjust the seasoning.  Pour the liquid into the jar over the horseradish.  Mix, cover and refrigerate.

Yields 1 pint.

Coconut Haroset

adapted from Everyday Cooking for the Jewish Home  by Ethel Hofman

This is a fruit/nut paste , symbolic of the mortar used by Jewish slaves during their captivity in Egypt and served at the Passover Seder.  Make this easier by having a good apple corer, slicer, peeler that works as you turn the handle.

Makes 2+ cups

Ingredients:
1/2 cup walnut pieces, toasted (buy dry toasted at Trader Joe's or see #1 below)
1/2 cup slivered almonds, toasted (ditto)
2 medium apples, peeled, cored and cut into chunks (Gala or Jonagold work well)
1/2 cup shredded coconut
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
2 Tbsp honey

Directions:
 1) To toast nuts, preheat oven to 350.  I use my toaster oven. Spread nuts on a small baking sheet.  Toast in oven until lightly browned and fragrant, 4-5 minutes.  Watch closely to avoid burning.  Remove to a plate and let cool.

2) In a food processor, coarsely chop apples, walnuts and almonds.

3) Transfer to a medium bowl.  Add coconut, pumpkin pie spice and honey.  I like it chunkier.  If you prefer the consistency of a stiff paste, add wine or grape juice.  Serve at room temperature.