Passover Recipes

Eliot’s Flourless Chocolate Cake

9-inch spring-form baking pan

Ingredients

  • 8 ounces 72% bittersweet chocolate
  • 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter
  • 6 large eggs, separated
  • 100 g sugar for egg whites
  • 50 g sugar for egg yolks
  • pinch of salt
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions

Preheat oven to 350° and line the pan bottom with parchment paper, spray lightly with nonstick spray

Melt chocolate and butter in a double-boiler until 126°, take off fire and let cool to around 110°

In the bowl of an electric stand mixer using the whip attachment, beat the egg whites with the (100 grams) sugar and the salt until soft peaks form. In a separate bowl, whip well the yolks with the (50 grams) sugar and vanilla for about a minute.

Using a spatula, slowly stir the chocolate into the yolk mixture. Then carefully fold in the egg whites. Don’t over mix or it will deflate. Leaving some streaks is okay!

Bake for 28 to 35 minutes, or until the cake is fully set around the edges.

Let cool in the pan for a few minutes, then remove from pan and cool completely.

Serve topped with berries and, if you like, with whipped cream or ice cream.

 

Eliot’s Passover Sweet Potato Tzimmes Kugel with Pecan Streusel Topping

Sweet Potato Ingredients

  • 2 3/4 pounds sweet potatoes peeled will yield approximately 2 1/2 pounds
  • 1 pound carrots peeled and grated on the large holes of a box grater
  • 1 apple (Granny Smith, Fuji or similar type) seeds removed but not peeled. Quartered, then slice each quarter into 4 slices and each slice cut into 1/4 inch pieces
  • 4 tablespoons light brown sugar
  • 4 tablespoons honey
  • 4 large eggs, lightly beaten
  • 1/2 cup matzo meal
  • 3 ounces raisins (if large cut in half)
  • 4 ounces pitted prunes, quartered
  • 4 ounces sweet white onion, 1/4 inch diced
  • 1/2 teaspoon finely grated orange zest
  • 1 ounce orange juice
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 3 tablespoons vegetable oil for sautéing

Pecan Streusel Ingredients

  • 4 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 1 1/2 cups pecans pieces
  • 1/2 packed cup light brown sugar
  • 3 tablespoons matzo meal
  • 1/2 teaspoon sea salt

Directions for Sweet Potato Mixture

Preheat oven to 350°

Using canned vegetable spray, coat 8×8 2-quart baking pan

Heat a large 12 3/4 inch sauté pan on medium heat. Add 2 tablespoons vegetable oil. Add grated carrots and sauté for about 10 minutes, mixing often so not to add any brown color to the carrots. Carrots should be tender, but still have a slight bite to them. Place on half sheet baking pan or cookie sheet to cool. Yields about 6 1/2 ounces.

Heat an 8-inch sauté pan on medium heat. Add diced sweet onions in a dry pan and cook for 3 to 4 minutes to caramelize the onions, mixing often. Add vegetable oil, cook 4 additional minutes until finished caramelizing. Yields approximately 2 ounces.

Peel and quarter lengthwise the sweet potatoes. Cut into 1/2 inch slices, transfer to a 3 1/2 quart pot and add cold water to cover over the potatoes by 1 inch. Add 1 tablespoon of sea salt. Bring to a boil on high, lower the heat to medium, and continue to cook until the potatoes can be easily pierced in the center with a tip of a knife. About 13 minutes. Drain and mash until smooth. Spread on a half sheet pan to cool quickly to room temperature.

Transfer cooled mashed sweet potatoes to a large mixing bowl. Add carrots, onions, raisins, prunes, apples, brown sugar, honey, matzo meal, orange zest, orange juice, cinnamon, salt and eggs. Mix until all ingredients are incorporated. Place mixture into the 2-quart baking pan.

Directions for the Pecan Streusel topping and assembly

Stir together the oil, pecans, brown sugar, flour, and salt in a medium bowl. Sprinkle topping evenly over the sweet potato mixture. Bake uncovered in a 350° oven on the middle shelf, until kugel sets in about 1 hour and registers 160° on a food grade thermometer.

 

Eliot’s Passover Mina of Spinach, Asparagus, Artichokes and Leek Savory Pie

A Mina is a Sephardic Jewish layered pie using matzo. It is like lasagna, substituting the matzo for the pasta. In developing this recipe, instead of soaking the matzo in water or broth which is typically done to soften to matzo, I decided to use a custard and simplify the process by not soaking the matzo at all, rather softening the matzo by pouring the custard on top. In the baking process, the matzo absorbs the custard and softens, leaving a perfect texture that allows the pie to be cut easily.

Ingredients

  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 2 medium leeks, white and light green parts, 1/4 inch diced
  • 2 medium shallots, 1/4 inch diced (4 ounces)
  • Garlic, finely diced (2/3 ounce)
  • ½ teaspoon sea salt
  • 16 ounces fresh baby spinach
  • 13 medium asparagus, washed, tough stems snapped off and sliced 1/4 inch on diagonal (5 ounces)
  • 1 13.75 ounce net weight can artichoke bottoms in brine, each bottom cut into 16 equal pieces
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1 cup whole milk
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream
  • 4 ounces grated Parmesan cheese, divided in 4 equal portions
  • 8 ounces crumbled feta cheese divided into 4 equal portions
  • 8 sheets matzo for Passover
  • 1 tablespoon fresh oregano chopped
  • 2 tablespoons fresh dill chopped

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350°. Butter or oil an 8×8-inch baking dish.

Spinach Mixture

Melt butter in a large skillet set over medium heat. When the foam subsides add the leeks, shallots, and salt cooking 5 minutes, stirring occasionally until softened. Add garlic, asparagus, and artichoke cooking for 3 additional minutes. Add spinach in handfuls, waiting until the spinach begins to wilt before adding more each time, until all the spinach has wilted. Add oregano and dill and continue to cook until all the spinach is cooked and most of the moisture has been cooked off. Remove from heat, spread on a 1/2 sheet pan and cool for 20 minutes.

Divide spinach mixture into 3 parts.

Egg Mixture

In a medium bowl whisk eggs well, add milk and cream and mix well. Divide the egg mixture into 4 parts.

Assembly

  1. Arrange 2 matzos in the bottom of the prepared baking dish
  2. Pour one of the egg mixtures over the matzos
  3. Top with one portion of the spinach mixture, placing evenly over the matzo
  4. Sprinkle 1 portion of the feta crumbles evenly on the spinach mixture
  5. Sprinkle 1 portion of the Parmesan cheese evenly over the feta cheese
  6. Arrange 1 sheet of matzo on top and break 1 sheet of matzo in half. Use the half of the matzo to cover any parts of the spinach not covered by the first sheet of matzo. You can break the half sheet of matzo in half again and lay pieces of matzo underneath the full sheet of matzo. It’s okay to have the full sheet overlapping the matzo pieces.
  7. Repeat steps 2 through 6 twice
  8. Pour the last portion of egg mixture evenly on top
  9. Sprinkle the last portion of feta crumbles evenly on the spinach mixture
  10. Sprinkle the last portion of Parmesan cheese evenly over feta cheese
  11. Cover the entire top of the baking pan with aluminum foil

Place finished matzo pie into a preheated 350° oven in the center of the middle shelf. Bake for 30 minutes and remove the foil. Bake for an additional 20 minutes, or until the internal temperature in the middle of the pie reaches 160° with a food thermometer. Let sit for 15 minutes, cut and serve. Can be made in advance and reheated in a 350° oven for 20-30 minutes.