PASSOVER RECIPES
Passover may be all about doing without, but convincing little ones to forgo their favorite standby meals won’t fly in most households. There are so many food traditions associated with Passover! Depending on where your family came from, different foods might be a part of your seder, but one thing we all need to eat during Passover (at least during the seder) is matzah! So, here’s a sweet treat with an international flair to get you through the carb-free days of Passover!

Chocolate-Caramel Matzah Crackers
Source: Deb Perelman at Smitten Kitchen

If you like Heath Bars, you’ll love this chocolate toffee candy. It’s perfect for Passover and the beauty of it is, it’s easy to make – no candy thermometers, special equipment or tempering of chocolate required.

• About 4 sheets matzah
• 1 cup (8 ounces or 225 grams) unsalted butter, cut into a few large pieces
• 1 cup (190 grams) packed light brown sugar
• Sea salt, preferably flaky
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)
• 1 1/2 cups (9 ounces or 255 grams) semi- or bittersweet chocolate chips, or 9 ounces chopped semi- or bittersweet chocolate
• 1 cup toasted chopped almonds, pecans, walnuts or a nut of your choice (optional)

Prepare your pan: Heat your oven to 350°F. Line an 13×18-inch (half-sheet) pan completely with foil, then line it again with parchment. This seems excessive but the foil will keep your pan near and the parchment will keep the crackers from sticking to the foil. You’ll be glad you did.

Line the bottom of the baking sheet with matzah or crackers, covering all parts in a single layer. [If using matzah, you’ll need to break pieces to fit any extra spaces, which will be annoying because despite being perforated, it does not actually break in straight lines. I have some luck making cuts by gently, carefully sawing with a serrated knife.]

Make the caramel/toffee: In a medium saucepan, melt the butter and brown sugar together, and whisk it over medium heat until it begins to boil. Once it has begun boiling, let it bubble for 3 more minutes, whisking it the whole time. The butter and sugar will come together, and the mixture will thicken a little as it cooks. Remove from the heat and add a couple good pinches of sea salt and vanilla, if using, and then quickly pour it over the matzah or crackers. Use an offset spatula to spread the caramel quickly over all the crackers, as it will begin to set as soon after it is poured.

Bake: The caramel-covered crackers for 13 to 15 minutes, watching carefully as it will bubble and the corners might darken too quickly and/or burn. You can reduce the heat if you see this happening.

Finish the crackers: Remove from oven and immediately sprinkle with chocolate chips. Let stand 5 minutes, and then use an offset spatula to spread them in an even layer over the caramel. If you’re using them, sprinkle the chocolate with toasted chopped nuts and/or sea salt. (The extra sea salt is great on matzah. On saltines, it’s really not necessary.)

Cool: Once completely cool — I speed this along in the freezer, impatient as should be expected in the face of caramel crackers — break or cut it into pieces and place in an airtight container. When cleaning up, you’ll see a lot of messy crumbs and bits; sweep them all into a jar for the best ice cream topping that has ever existed, trust me.

To store: Keep both the jar of crumbs and the crackers in the fridge; it won’t go bad at room temperature but it’s less sticky and messy when it’s cold. It should keep for a week but I’ve never seen it last that long.

Hallaq (Persian Charoset):
Source: New York Times

Tired of the same old apple, walnut and cinnamon charoset? Then you must try Hallaq, Persian charoset. Charoset is a mixed fruit and nut dish that is usually eaten with matzah. Charoset symbolizes the mortar used by Jewish slaves in Egypt to construct the pyramids and other ancient Egyptian structures.

Hallaq not only symbolizes the Jewish Exodus from Egypt, but it highlights some of the sweet and warm flavors from Iran such as raisins, dates and pomegranates.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup almonds
• 1 cup roasted, shelled pistachios
• 1 cup walnuts
• 1 cup black raisins
• 1 cup golden raisins
• 1 cup dates, pitted
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons ground cardamom
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 large apple, peeled, quartered and cored
• 1 large pear, peeled, quartered and cored
• 2 bananas, peeled
• 2 to 3 tablespoons cider vinegar
• ½ to 1 cup pomegranate juice
• ½ to 1 cup sweet kosher wine
• PREPARATION

1. In a large food processor, combine nuts, raisins, dates and spices. Pulse until nuts are coarsely chopped.
2. Add apple, pear and bananas, and pulse until coarsely chop. Add 2 tablespoons vinegar, 1/2 cup pomegranate juice, and 1/2 cup wine. Pulse again, adding more vinegar, juice or wine to taste, as needed to make a coarse paste. Do not purée; mixture should retain some crunch

Sephardic Style Charoset

1 1/2 cups (355ml) dry red wine, such as Merlot
1 pound raisins (454g; about 3 cups)
8 ounces (1 packed cup) pitted Medjool dates (227g; about 12 dates), chopped
4 ounces dried apricots (113g; 2/3 cup), chopped
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
Kosher salt
8 ounces roasted, unsalted almonds (227g; 1 1/2 cups)
1 teaspoon orange blossom water (optional)

In a large saucepan, bring wine to a simmer over medium heat, then stir in fruit, cinnamon, and cloves. Cook uncovered until fruit is well hydrated and wine has been absorbed, about 5 minutes. Add salt to taste and set aside.

In a food processor, roughly chop almonds in short pulses, about 6 one-second pulses. There should be no whole almonds remaining; a mix of large chunks and small crumbs is preferable. Remove almonds from food processor and transfer to a large mixing bowl.

Add fruit mixture to food processor and pulse until fruit just begins to come together into a paste, 3 to 5 one-second pulses. Do not overprocess—some chunks of fruit should be intact.

Transfer fruit to mixing bowl and combine well with almonds. Stir in orange blossom water and additional salt if needed. Flavor of charoset will improve over time. Serve warm or at room temperature.

https://www.seriouseats.com/sephardic-style-haroset-recipe

Banana Charoset
Makes 3 cups (Serves 25 for Seder)

3 large ripe bananas
2 cups ground walnuts
2 tablespoons sugar
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons sweet kosher wine
2 apples, shredded on the large holes of a box grater
1 cup walnut halves, chopped into 1/3-inch pieces

In the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade, place the bananas, ground walnuts, sugar, cinnamon and wine. Process until the mixture comes together.
Transfer to a small bowl, add the apples and chopped walnuts, and stir to combine.

https://forward.com/food/recipes/217785/banana-charoset-no-kidding/

 

 

Moroccan Charoset Balls
Yield: approximately 60 balls or 3 ½ cups

2 cups pitted dates
½ cup golden raisins
½ cup dark raisings
½ cup walnuts
1-2 tablespoons sweet red Passover wine

Process the dates, raisins, and walnuts in a food processor until the mixture I finely chopped and begins to stick together.  Ad enough wine to make a sticky mass.  Line a baking sheet with wax paper.  Drop slightly rounded measuring teaspoonfuls of the mixture onto the lined sheer.  Roll each mound with moistened palms into hazelnut-size balls.  Refrigerate for at least 3 hours or until firm.

Adapted from Jewish Cooking in America by Joan Nathan
https://www.tabletmag.com/sections/food/articles/paste-test

Venetian Charoset

1 cup golden raisins, soaked in warm water for 30 minutes
½ cup dark raisins, soaked in warm water for 30 minutes
6 dried figs, ends trimmed and minced
½ cup dried apricots, minced
6 dates, pits removed and chopped
1 cup lightly toasted skinned almonds, coarsely chopped’
1 cup lightly toasted pine nuts
2 Tbs of Kosher for Passover Liquor or Grappa
Grated rind from one large orange
1/3 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
½ to ¾ cup of superior quality honey

Combine the prepared fruits and nuts, add the orange juice, orange rind, and Liquor.  Mix together well, the dated will break down to a paste like consistency and act to bind the mixture.

Once thoroughly combined, begin to add the honey starting with ½ cup.  The amount you need will depend on the plumpness of the fruit, especially the dates.  You want a paste that holds together nicely and can be taken easily with a spoon.  Additional honey may be added once the mixture sits for  a day or two.

Cover and refrigerate until needed.
https://labellasorella.com/2015/03/venetian-haroset/

Lemon and Cinnamon Charoset

1 medium-large apple
1 hard-boiled egg yolk (optional)
50 g ground almonds
50 g ground hazelnuts
115 g sugar
Juice and zest of a lemon
Cinnamon to taste
60 g pine nuts

Peel and core the apple, grate the flesh into a mixing bowl.

Mash the egg yolk, if using, and add to the apple.

Add the almonds, hazelnuts, sugar, lemon juice, and most of the zest, and mix well.

Add half a teaspoon of cinnamon, mix well, and taste.  Add more cinnamon if required and continue to add, mix and taste until you’re happy with the flavor.

Transfer to a serving bowl and decorate with the pine nuts and remaining lemon zest.

https://family-friends-food.com/incredible-lemon-cinnamon-charoset-with-pine-nuts/

California Charoset

1 large avocado, peeled & chopped
Juice of ½ lemon
Golden raisins
Pitted dates
Pitted prunes
Dried figs
Grated peel of one orange
Orange Juice

https://reformjudaism.org/reform-jewish-life/food-recipes/taste-test-22-nut-free-charoset-recipes

Boumuelos
Source: Kosher Delight

If you’re looking for a more decadent Passover treat than matzah brie, try making Boumuelos. Matzah brie is a variation of French toast using matzah crackers. Boumuelos are traditionally eaten for breakfast after the first Passover Seder in Bulgaria.

Variations of this Bulgarian treat, called Bunuelos, are popular in many South American countries as well as Spain, Greece, Turkey and Morocco.

Matza meal
½ tsp. salt
2 eggs
olive oil to deep fry “SITIA”

INSTRUCTIONS:
In a bowl, put the matza meal and warm water until very soft.
Add eggs and salt; mix well.
In a frypan, pour oil to 1 inch deep.
Form matza mixture with tablespoon into round shape.
Drop in oil and brown on both sides.
Drain on paper towel.
Serve with honey or preserves.

VOCABULARY:

Seder: Literally meaning order, this is the special ritual meal for the first night (or 2, depending on how you celebrate) of Passover. There are 15 traditional “parts” of the seder, all of which help us tell AND experience the story of Passover.

Haggadah: Meaning “telling,” the Haggadah is the book that is used during the seder meal. If you are looking for the perfect Haggadah for your family seder, look no further than kveller.com/Haggadah, where our own Rabbi Sari was the rabbinic consultant on this fabulous resource “for curious kids and their grown-ups.”

Chametz: This refers to leaven, or any foods mixed with leaven, which are prohibited on Passover. Bye bye bread!

Kitniyot: Here’s where it can get confusing. Kitniyot is Hebrew for legumes, but also includes things like corn and rice. Most Ashkenazi (from Eastern/Central Europe) Jews don’t eat kitniyot on Passover, but Sephardic/Mizrachi (Spain/Portugal, Iran, Iraq, Morocco, etc) do.

Matzah: Unleavened bread, which we eat to remind us that the Israelites did not have time to wait for their bread to rise when they were fleeing Egypt.

Exodus: The “English” name of the second book of the Torah, it is really a Greek word for the story of Passover. The story we tell on this holiday is about when Israelites were freed from slavery in Egypt, crossed the Sea of Reeds, and celebrated on the seashore.

Afikomen: Another Greek word, meaning dessert. It refers to a piece of matzah that is hidden during the seder. At most seders, children search for the afikomen and return it for a prize; it is then meant to be the last thing eaten during the seder.

A Pre-Passover Activity:

Bedikat Chametz: The Hunt for Chametz

The Hunt for Chametz Bedikat Chametz, or the Hunt for Chametz, is a wonderful ritual to try out with your family the night before Passover. It is a tradition, on the night before Passover begins, to search your house for a hidden or missing piece of chametz (all that food that we are not supposed to eat during Passover). We suggest hiding 10 pieces of chametz for your children to find; you can put them in a plastic bag. If you want, you can make it a scavenger hunt with clues, or each of the bags could hold a secret message or toy for the seder. Or, you can keep it simple: go through your house (and car!) and look for hidden chametz. You’ll need a candle for searching (or a flashlight/headlamp if we want to be super careful and fire-safe), a feather to sweep the crumbs, and a wooden spoon to collect them.

Before you search, the following blessing is traditional:

בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְיָ אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ מֶֽלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם, אֲשֶׁר קִדְּשָֽׁנוּ בְּמִצְוֹתָיו, וְצִוָּֽנוּ עַל בִּעוּר חָמֵץ.

Baruch ata Adonai, Eloheinu melech ha-olam, asher kidshanu b’mitzvotav v’tzivanu al biur chametz.

Blessed are You, Adonai our God, Sovereign of the Universe, who makes us holy through commandments and commands us to remove all the chametz.

P.S. The second part of the tradition involves burning the chametz on the morning of the seder, but we’ll leave it up to you and Smokey the Bear…

Passover Songs:

There are many, many songs that are traditionally a part of the seder. Here are a couple, one classic, one a little sillier!

Chad Gadya:

A mix of Hebrew and Aramaic in the original, here is an English version of this story song. Make it extra fun by assigning people to each “character,” and make them pick a signature sound!

Chad gadya, chad gadya.
dizabin aba bitrei zuzei,
chad gadya, chad gadya.

Chad gadya, chad gadya

My father bought for two zuzim,

Chad gadya, chad gadya.

Then came a cat
and ate the goat,
That Father bought for two zuzim,
Chad gadya, chad gadya.

Then came a dog
and bit the cat,
that ate the goat,
That Father bought for two zuzim,
Chad gadya, chad gadya.

Then came a stick
and beat the dog,
that bit the cat,
that ate the goat,
That Father bought for two zuzim,
Chad gadya, chad gadya.

Then came fire
and burnt the stick,
that beat the dog,
that bit the cat,
that ate the goat,
That Father bought for two zuzim,
Chad gadya, chad gadya.

Then came water
and quenched the fire,
that burnt the stick,
that beat the dog,
that bit the cat,
that ate the goat,
That Father bought for two zuzim,
Chad gadya, chad gadya.

Then came the ox
and drank the water,
that quenched the fire,
that burnt the stick,
that beat the dog,
that bit the cat,
that ate the goat,
That Father bought for two zuzim,
Chad gadya, chad gadya.

Then came the slaughterer
and slaughtered the ox,
that drank the water,
that quenched the fire,
that burnt the stick,
that beat the dog,
that bit the cat,
that ate the goat,
That Father bought for two zuzim,
Chad gadya, chad gadya.

Then came the Angel of Death
and killed the slaughterer,
that slaughtered the ox,
that drank the water,
that quenched the fire,
that burnt the stick,
that beat the dog,
that bit the cat,
that ate the goat,
That Father bought for two zuzim,
Chad gadya, chad gadya.

Then came the Holy One, Blessed be He
and slew the the Angel of Death,
that killed the slaughterer,
that slaughtered the ox,
that drank the water,
that quenched the fire,
that burnt the stick,
that beat the dog,
that bit the cat,
that ate the goat,
That Father bought for two zuzim,
Chad gadya, chad gadya.

The Frog Song:

The second plague that God sent to the Egyptians was the plague of frogs….jumping everywhere. This silly classic imagines what happened to Pharaoh when he woke up one morning!

One morning when Pharoah woke in his bed

There were frogs on his head and frogs in his bed

Frogs on his nose and frogs on his toes

Frogs – here! Frogs – there! Frogs were jumping everywhere!