Amy Stopnicki is a great go-to person for getting some practical and creative tips on preparing meals for Passover.

Stopnicki, a cookbook author, food columnist and popular food blogger, is among a younger generation of kosher food chefs and authors who have been at the forefront of modernizing kosher food trends with their innovative recipes.

Stopnicki is the author of Kosher Taste: Plan, Prepare, Plate. She also writes a weekly food column for Metroland Media and has amassed a large following on Instagram. “It’s become a huge platform in the world of food,” she said.

“Food is a big connector … There are all these foodies on Instagram” she said. “I’ll post a recipe and people will respond. I’ll see someone in Sobeys and they’ll say, ‘Thank you, for a recipe.’

“I have made friends with food bloggers from New York through Instagram.”

Her advice for the Passover seder is to keep the food as simple as possible.

A dish of vegetables roasted with olive oil and spices is simple, but delicious, she said.

Her pulled brisket recipe presented with a couple of sauces can work well for a seder or any other kind of entertaining, she said. “It’s delicious served over baked potatoes or to create an entertaining board with grilled vegetables, grilled chicken and baked salami.”

Stopnicki said the oils she uses on Passover – olive and coconut – are the same types of oils she uses during the year.

As for what to do with all the chicken from the soup that often goes uneaten, Stopnicki has offered her recipe for chicken salad with mango and avocado.

Her Pesach biscotti with chocolate chips is always a crowd pleaser, she added.

You can find more of Stopnicki’s recipes on Instagram by searching for
@amyskoshertaste or go to Amystopnicki.com.

Passover chicken salad

o 1 mango, diced

o 1 large avocado, diced

o 1-2 green onions, chopped

o 3-4 chicken breasts diced

o 5 ml (1 tsp) lemon juice

o 5 ml (1 tsp) lime juice

o 2 cloves chopped garlic

o Salt and pepper to taste

If using chicken from soup, remove the skin and bones.

In a large bowl combine the chicken, onions, avocado, lemon juice, garlic, salt and peppercorns. Toss gently and serve.

Makes 4 to 6 servings

Passover pulled brisket

o 8 cloves garlic, chopped

o 125 ml (½ cup) Passover BBQ sauce

o 15 ml (1 tbsp) oil

o 1 large onion, finely diced

o 125 ml (½ cup) ketchup

o 80 ml (1/3 cup) brown sugar

o 50 ml (¼ cup) passover vinegar

o 125 ml (½ cup) honey

o 5 ml (1 tsp) pepper

o 30-45 ml (2-3 tbsp) dried onion flakes

o Salt to taste

o 1 brisket 2 to 2½ kg (4-5 lb)

o Water

To prepare, combine the garlic, barbecue sauce, oil, onion, ketchup, sugar, vinegar, honey, pepper, onion and salt, mix well in a large container.

Marinate the brisket in this mixture overnight or for 45 minutes at room temperature.

Preheat the oven to 130 C (250 F).

Put the marinated brisket and sauce into a baking dish.

Add water so the brisket is covered approximately 1/3 of the way up, mix the water to combine it with the sauce.

Cook the brisket for 5 hours.

When cooked, pull the brisket using a fork.

Pesach biscotti

o 500 ml (2 cups) almond flour

o 250 ml (1 cup) potato starch

o 250 ml (1 cup) sugar

o 125 ml (½ cup) olive oil

o 2 eggs

o 50 ml (¼ cup) mini chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 190°C (375°F).

Combine the almond flour, potato starch and sugar.

Create a hole in the centre of the ingredients and add the oil and eggs. Mix well, then add the chocolate chips and mix all the ingredients together.

Shape the dough into one large log about 12 x 45-cm (5 x 20-inches).

Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the outside of the log is golden brown.

Let the log cool. Slice the log into 1½ cm (½-inch) slices and lay them flat on a cookie sheet.

Turn the oven down to 190 C (325 F) and continue baking for 15-20 minutes or until the cookies are set.