Menus done, lots of shopping done, a few things made, I’m getting there.. but I always need extra fill-in recipes, like another main dish, one more soup, lots of salad ideas, and desserts, either for the meal orto have around. Last year I shared lots of Passover desserts and seder ideas. Below, find lots of “extra” recipes. Another soup, two mains, a salad and two yummy desserts. These are great additions to your menus or a good start for second days of YomTov. Chag Sameach!
Roasted Mediterranean Vegetable Soup
Photo by the Busy Baker
Serves 6
Roasting adds caramelization and tons of rich flavor to the vegetables in this soup. If the soup is too thick, add a bit more broth or non-dairy milk and adjust the seasoning to taste.
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 lb. vine-ripe tomatoes, halved
- 3 large yellow peppers, seeded and halved
- 3 zucchini, halved lengthwise
- 1 small eggplant, halved lengthwise
- 4 garlic cloves, halved
- 2 onions, cut into eighths
- ¼ teaspoon dried thyme
- ¼ teaspoon dried oregano
- 4 cups chicken or vegetable stock
- ½ cup non-dairy milk or almond milk
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- Fresh basil, shredded, for garnish
Preheat the oven to 375°F.
Brush two large, shallow baking dishes with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Arrange tomatoes, peppers, zucchini, and eggplant in a single layer, cut side down. Sprinkle garlic and onion around vegetables and drizzle with remaining oil. Sprinkle with thyme and oregano, and season with salt and pepper, to taste.
Place in the oven and roast, uncovered, for 30-35 minutes, or until soft and browned. Once cooled, scrape out the eggplant flesh and remove skin from peppers and tomatoes. Add vegetables to the bowl and use an immersion blender to puree eggplant, peppers, zucchini, tomatoes, garlic and onion until chunky like a salsa, not completely smooth.
In a soup pot, combine chunky vegetable mixture with broth and simmer for 20-30 minutes. Stir in the non-dairy milk and simmer until hot. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Serve warm, topped with shredded basil.
Pot Roast with Pistachio Salt Rub
Photo by Jennifer May
Serves 6
Classic pot roast meets salty, nutty, roasted pistachios. Don’t skip the nutty topping, it adds great flavor and texture to a traditional Passover dish.
- 1 (4-5 lb.) beef chuck roast or pot roast
- Kosher salt, to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
- 3 stalks celery, cut into 2-inch pieces
- 3 large carrots, cut into 2-inch pieces
- 2 medium turnips, quartered
- 2 large onions, cut into eighths
- 11 cloves garlic (10 whole, 1 minced)
- ¾ cup dry red wine
- 2 cups beef stock
- 4 dried bay leaves
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary, or 1 teaspoon dried
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme, or 1 teaspoon dried
- ¼ cup shelled salted pistachios, chopped
- ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
Season roast with salt and pepper. Heat a Dutch oven over high heat. Add 1 ½ tablespoons oil and brown roast on all sides, turning to brown each side, about 8 minutes total. Remove roast from pot. Heat remaining 1 ½ tablespoons oil in the same pot, then add celery, carrots, turnips, onions, whole garlic, ½ teaspoon kosher salt and ½ teaspoon pepper. Cook until vegetables begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and set vegetables aside in a separate bowl.
Preheat the oven to 300°F.
Return Dutch oven to medium heat. Add wine and cook until slightly reduced, about 4 minutes. Add beef stock, and bring to a simmer. Return roast and vegetables to pot with simmering liquid. Scatter bay leaves, rosemary, and thyme over and around the roast. Cover tightly, place in a preheated oven, and cook for 1 hour.
Remove pan from oven, gently turn the meat over and baste with pan juices. Cover tightly and cook for an additional 30 - 45 minutes. Uncover and cook an additional 30 minutes, until lightly browned on top.
To make the pistachio salt: Combine pistachios, parsley, minced garlic, ¼ teaspoon kosher salt, and ¼ teaspoon black pepper in a small bowl and mix. Slice roast or serve whole with pan juices, vegetables, and pistachio salt sprinkled on top.
Turkey Breast with Sweet Oranges and Apricots
Serves 8 -10
This recipe is a fan favorite. Raisins, apricots and orange juice add sweetness to the turkey while the spices add a nice, complex flavor. This comes together in a snap, and is best served fresh out of the oven. It can be gently reheated, covered on low heat, but be careful not to dry out the turkey.
- 1 (5½ pound) turkey breast, rinsed and dried well
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon ginger
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 cup orange marmalade
- 1 (6-ounce) can orange juice concentrate, defrosted
- 6 ounces dried apricots
- ½ cup raisins (golden and dark mixed look pretty)
- 2 large onions, sliced
- 3 large carrots, sliced diagonally
- 1 cup dry white wine
Preheat oven to 350°F
Place turkey breast in a large roasting pan. Sprinkle spices over turkey and rub marmalade all over. Pour orange juice concentrate over turkey, and scatter apricots, raisins, and vegetables all around it. Add wine.
Roast turkey for about 1½ hours (depending on weight) until tender, basting every 30 minutes. For a more precise cook, insert a roasting thermometer into the thickest part of the breast, and cook until it reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees, about 16-20 minutes per pound. If the top gets too brown before the rest has cooked, cover loosely with greased foil. Make sure there is liquid on the bottom of the pan, and add more wine as needed.
Let the turkey rest for about 20 minutes before slicing. To serve, slice turkey, and top with vegetables, dried fruit, and sauce.
Grilled Chicken Salad with Peppers and Lemon Vinaigrette
Serves 5
My friend Yael served this to me a few years ago at her Hamptons home and I have been making it ever since. It’s very fresh tasting and easy to make. The original recipe is from Ina Garten.
- 4 – 6 chicken cutlets, grilled (marinate them in lemon juice, olive oil, salt, pepper, and thyme and grill or use any leftover or store bought grilled chicken)
- ¼ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 1 cup cucumbers or steamed asparagus, sliced in pieces (when it is not Passover, I use sugar snap peas)
- ½ red pepper, sliced
- ½ yellow pepper, sliced
- 1 lemon, thinly sliced
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
Slice the chicken on a diagonal. Place the chicken and its juices in a large bowl. Add the lemon juice, olive oil, cucumbers or asparagus, peppers, lemon slices, salt and pepper.
Let the salad marinate for at least 30 minutes. Serve chilled or at room temperature.
Mixed Green Salad with Oranges, Pecans, Craisins, with Avocado Dressing
Serves 4
This is fresh and seasonal and perfect for Passover. The avocado dressing is creamy. Make sure to use ripe avocados. The dressing is also a good dip.
Dressing
- 1 avocado
- ½ cup water
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
- ½ teaspoon salt
Salad
- 6 cups mixed salad greens, washed, dried, and chopped
- 2 oranges, mangos, or apples, peeled and diced
- ¼ cup, chopped toasted pecans
- 2 tablespoons dried cranberries or raisins
For the dressing:
In a food processor, combine all the ingredients and process until smooth.
For the salad
In a large bowl, mix together the lettuce, oranges, pecans and dried cranberries. Toss with the dressing and serve immediately.
Coconut Layered Brownies
Photo and recipe by Jake Cohen
Serves 10
Food and Wine magazine just featured this delicious and updated version of a macaroon. I think it’s more like a layered brownie or a Passover brookie. It’s fantastic, friendly, and very rich and chocolatey. It’s part of my dessert repertoire now.
Brownie Layer
- 8 ounces dark chocolate bar, coarsely chopped
- 1 cup unsalted margarine or coconut oil (8 ounces)
- 4 large eggs
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup packed light brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon instant espresso granules
- 1 cup coconut flour (about 4 ounces) or potato starch
- 1 cup chocolate chips
Macaroon Layer
- 4 large egg whites
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 4 cups unsweetened finely shredded coconut (12 ounces)
Make the brownie layer
Line a 13- x 9-inch baking pan with parchment paper, leaving overhang on all sides. Set a medium metal bowl over a small saucepan of simmering water. Place dark chocolate and margarine in a bowl, and cook, stirring occasionally, until melted and smooth, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat.
Whisk together eggs, granulated sugar, brown sugar, cocoa, vanilla, salt, and espresso granules in a large bowl until smooth. Whisk in warm chocolate mixture until smooth. Fold in coconut flour until just combined, and fold in chocolate chips.Transfer batter to prepared pan; spread in an even layer. Refrigerate 1 hour.
Make the macaroon layer:
Preheat the oven to 375°F. Beat egg whites with a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment on medium speed until frothy, about 1 minute. With the mixer running on medium speed, slowly add granulated sugar, vanilla, and salt. Beat, gradually increasing speed to high, until stiff peaks form, about 2 minutes. Add coconut; beat on low speed until just combined, about 30 seconds. Spread coconut mixture in an even layer over brownie batter.
Bake in preheated oven until brownies are just set and the top is golden, about 30 minutes. Let cool completely on a wire rack. Remove from pan; cut into 24 brownies, and serve.
Chocolate Pudding Cake
Serves 8
Oooey gooey and doesn’t taste like a Pesach dessert at all.
I make this year round with flour instead of potato starch and cake meal. My 8-year-old son makes it and is so proud when we serve it. It is warm and delicious. Serve it with pareve ice cream or pareve whipping cream.
Pudding Cake:
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup potato starch
- ½ cup matzo cake meal (if you do not eat matzo meal, substitute ½ cup potato starch, so a total of 1 cup potato starch)
- ¼ cup cocoa powder
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- Pinch of salt
- ½ cup non dairy creamer or almond milk
- ⅓ cup margarine, melted
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
Topping:
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup packed light brown sugar
- ¼ cup cocoa powder
- 1 ¼ cups hot water
Serve with: Pareve whipping cream or pareve ice cream
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
For the cake: Whisk together the sugar, potato starch, cake meal, cocoa, baking powder and salt in a bowl. Whisk in the non-dairy creamer, margarine and vanilla. Stir together until smooth with a wooden spoon or spatula.
Pour the batter into an ungreased 9-inch square-baking pan. Use an offset spatula to level in the pan.
For the topping: Whisk together the sugars and cocoa and sprinkle it evenly over the batter. Pour the hot water over the top; resist the temptation to stir it into the batter.
Bake for 25 - 30 minutes, or until the center is bubbly and looks almost set, like an undercooked brownie. Take out of the oven and let stand for 15 minutes. Serve in dessert dishes, spooning sauce from bottom of pan over top with pareve whipping cream or pareve ice cream.
