Are you game for a walk down memory lane? Set your Passover table with your finest dishes and get ready to bring back many family seder recollections of traditional and tasty Passover dinners.
Take your pick from these delicious Passover dinner recipes. These hearty Passover dishes, a mix of conventional and innovative, will put the perfect finishing touch on your seder. Serving hearty Passover fare will not only evoke many childhood memories, it will also make your seder a memorable gathering for family and friends this year.
This Passover, you won’t even miss pasta night! Vegetable matzah balls covered with delicious spiked tomato sauce are an appetizing alternative to pasta, and for that matter, meatballs as well. Lightened up with fresh vegetables, the mouth-watering, handmade matzah balls are easier to prepare than you may guess. The matzah balls also work well to switch up your chicken soup.
Matzah Balls
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 medium onion, peeled
1 large carrot, peeled
2 large celery ribs
1 green pepper, stem and seeds removed
4 eggs, beaten
1/2 tsp. pepper
2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. dried basil
1 tsp. dried oregano
2 cups matzah meal
Start a large pot of water to boil. Chop the onion and vegetables to a fine dice. In a large frying pan, heat oil, then sauté the onion until soft and golden. Add vegetables and continue to cook until soft. Remove from heat and cool. In a large bowl, add salt, pepper, basil and oregano to beaten eggs. Add vegetables with the remaining oil, and then the matzah meal. Mix well. Shape into balls and drop into the boiling water. Cook covered, on a medium heat, for 25 minutes.
Tomato Sauce
1 1/2 cups tomato sauce
1 tsp. basil
1 tsp. oregano
1/4 cup kosher for Passover sweet red wine.
Mix all ingredients together in a saucepan on stove or in a covered microwave safe dish in microwave, bring to a boil and remove from heat. Pour heated sauce over matzah balls before serving.
Mushroom Kugel
This kugel, or pudding of sorts, is a savoury casserole that works well as either a vegetarian main course or a traditional side dish. It is nutritious and filling Passover fare, packed with succulent caramelized onions and mushrooms and dressed with a little crunch on top.
3 cups matzah farfel
3 cups cold water
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 medium onions, diced
1 1/2 lb. mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
5 eggs, beaten
2 tbsp. sugar
2 large potatoes, grated and rinsed with cold water (squeeze out excess water)
Using a large bowl, soak the farfel in the water until soft. Drain well. In a large frying pan, heat 2 tbsp.of the oil. Sauté the onions until soft, add the mushrooms and sauté until mushrooms are soft and look wet. In a large bowl, mix farfel with remaining ingredients. Add onions and mushrooms and mix well. Pour the remainder of the oil into a 9×12-in., or similar, ovenproof baking dish. Place in a 350-degree oven for 5 minutes. When oil is heated, remove baking dish from oven and pour the prepared kugel mixture into the pan, smoothing down mixture. Bake 1 hour, or until top is golden brown.
Helpful Hint: Before baking, core kugel with a scraper/chopper tool by pressing all the way down to the bottom of the pan making rows in one direction, then in the other direction. After baking, kugel will lift easily out of the pan in square pieces.
These are tender cabbage rolls filled with beef, swimming in a saucy little bath of stewed sweet and sour tomato sauce. This comfort food is guaranteed to be number 1 on your list to stir up memories of family gatherings gone by.
1 large cabbage
Filling
1 lb. lean ground beef
1 cup matzah farfel
1 egg
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
2 tbsp. tomato sauce
Sauce
juice of two lemons
1 1/2 cups tomato sauce
1 can stewed tomatoes, chopped
1/3 cup brown sugar, packed
salt and pepper to taste.
In a large bowl, mix together ingredients for filling. Refrigerate.
Rinse the cabbage and place on a plate in the microwave. Cook on high for 10 minutes or until leaves soften and become easy to move. Plunge into a bowl of cold water to cool and loosen leaves. Carefully peel leaf back from cabbage, cutting it away at the core. If inner leaves are not softened, replace the cabbage in the microwave for 3 minutes. Repeat if necessary.
Cut out hard rib from the bottom of each leaf, set aside. When most of the leaves have been removed and all that remains is the centre of the cabbage, cut up the remaining cabbage. Place the cut cabbage along with the ends of each leaf at the bottom of a large, oven-proof Dutch oven.
Now start stuffing the leaves. Take about 1 heaping tbsp. of the beef filling and place it at the bottom of the leaf, where the hard rib was removed. First, roll up one time, then, envelope style, fold over one side then the other side. Continue rolling up until all the leaf is used and place seam down over the cut cabbage in the pot. Continue with the remainder of the filling and the leaves, placing the rolls, seam down, in rows on top of each other.
Pour sauce over cabbage rolls and cook, covered, on the stove at medium-high heat, for 2 hours.
Remove from stove, baste the top of the cabbage rolls with sauce from the pot, and place in a 350-degree oven, uncovered, for 1/2 hour.
May be made ahead. Reheat in the microwave.
Best made a day ahead, this hearty stew goes great with mashed potatoes.
3 tbsp. vegetable oil, plus 1 tbsp. vegetable oil
1 1/2 lb. stewing beef, fat removed, cut into 1-in. cubes.
4 tbsp. potato starch
4 large cloves of garlic, sliced
14 mini-potatoes, sliced in half
7 stocks of celery, sliced into 1/2-in. pieces
3 zucchinis, cut lengthwise into 4 pieces then chopped into 1/2-in. pieces
3 large carrots, sliced into 1/2-in. pieces
4 cups beef or chicken stock
2 tsp. dried thyme
2 tsp. dried rosemary
2 tsp. dried chives, or 2 tbsp. fresh chives, finely chopped
2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
3 tbsp. kosher for Passover, sweet red wine
Heat 3 tbsp. of oil in a large nonstick pan. Coat beef in potato starch and, in two or three batches, brown in hot oil. Remove browned beef to a large Dutch oven.
Add 1 tbsp. oil to pan, and sauté garlic until soft. Add garlic and remaining ingredients to Dutch oven, and, stirring occasionally, simmer covered over low heat 1-1/2 hours, or until beef is tender. After cooking, skim off fat. Freezes well.
Note: Veal may be substituted for beef.