Foodielicious

Spring has sprung and that means Passover is around the corner. If you are like me, you have already started to think about what to make for this festive gathering. Below, you'll enjoy a full meal, from start to finish! For an alternative Passover meal idea, click here. Only in charge of supplying some dessert or have a sweet tooth craving? Check out some Passover-friendly dessert choices.

Serves 12

California Charoset

INGREDIENTS:
1 large avocado, peeled and diced
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1/2 cup sliced almonds
1/3 cup raisins
4 seedless dates
2 figs or prunes
1 whole orange, peel and section
2 tbsp apple juice
2 tbsp matzo meal

DIRECTIONS:

1. Toss the avocado and lemon juice in a bowl. Set aside.

2. In a processor or blender, place the almonds, raisins, dates, and figs. Process until coarsely chopped. Add the orange peel and orange sections and process briefly to combine. Add the avocado and process just 1 or 2 seconds more.

3. Transfer the mixture to a glass bowl and gently fold in the apple juice and matzo meal. Cover with plastic wrap and store in the refregerator until ready to serve.

Vegetable Soup with Mini-Matzo Balls

INGREDIENTS:

SOUP
1/4 cup safflower or vegetable oil
6 green onions (scallions), thinly sliced with greens
2 shallots, minced
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
1 large potato, peeled and thinly sliced
4 carrots, peeled and thinly sliced
4 small broccoli stalks, thinly sliced
1 celery rib, thinly sliced
1 parsnip, peeled and thinly sliced
2 medium zucchini, thinly sliced
1 yellow squash, thinly sliced
8 medium mushroom, thinly sliced
2 large tomatoes, peeled and diced
4 to 6 cups vegetable stock
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper

MINI-MATZO BALLS
3 eggs, separated
1/2 cup water
1/8 teaspoon salt
Pinch of freshly ground black pepper
1 to 1 1/2 cups matzo meal

DIRECTIONS:

1. Make the mini-matzo balls. Put the egg yolks, water, salt, and pepper in a small bowl and beak with fork. Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, beat the egg whites until they form stiff peaks: do not over beat. With a rubber spatula, gently fold the yolk mixture alternately with the matzo meal into the egg whites until well blended. Use only enough matzo meal to make a light, firm dough.

Spoon this mixture into a pastry bad with a 1/2-inch round tube opening. Hold the bag over the simmer soup and squeeze out the dough in 1 inch length cutting them off at the tip of the tube with a sharp knife. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes; do not uncover during this cooking time.

2. Make the vegetable soup. In a large heavy pot, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the green onions, shallots, onion, and potatoes and sauté until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the carrots, broccoli celery, and parsnip and sauté for 5 minutes longer. Add the zucchini, squash, and mushroom and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes. Simmer very slowly until the vegetables are soft and the juices accumulate, 5 to 10 minutes. Add the tomatoes and stock and simmer, partially covered, for 45 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil over high heat.

3. Putting it all together. Add the mini-matzo balls, cover, reduce heat, and simmer gently for 10 minutes.

Veal Shanks with Prunes and Apricots

INGREDIENTS:
12 pieces veal shank, cut 2 inches thick
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup safflower or vegetable oil
6 garlic cloves, minced (optional)
2 large onions, finely chopped
8 medium carrots, finely chopped
6 celery ribs, finely chopped
1 1/2 cups dry white wine
6 large tomatoes, peeled and chopped
6 fresh thyme or rosemary sprigs
1/4 cup chopped parsley
6 ounces dried prunes, plumped in sweet Passover wine to cover
6 ounces dried apricots, plumped in sweet Passover wine to cover
Parsley for garnish (optional)

DIRECTIONS:

1. Wash and dry the veal shanks and lightly sprinkle with salt and pepper.

2. Heat the oil in a large heavy skillet over medium heat. Brown the shanks on all sides, about 5 minutes, and remove to a platter. To the same skillet, add the garlic, onions, carrots, and celery and sauté until lightly browned. Place the veal shanks on top of the onion mixture; add the wine and cook until reduced by half, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the tomatoes, thyme, and chopped parsley. Cover and simmer for 1 hour.

3. Add the drained prunes and apricots. Continue cooking for 30 minutes to 1 hour more, until the meal is tender enough to fall away from the bones.

Optional: Serve garnished with parsley.

Steamed Asparagus with Garlic Sauce

INGREDIENTS:
6 dozen asparagus spears
1/4 pound unsalted margarine
6 large garlic cloves, minced
1 tbsp lemon juice
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Lemon slices for garnish (optional)

DIRECTIONS:

1. Melt the margarine in a small skillet over low heat. Add the garlic and lemon juice. Simmer until the garlic is lightly browned. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

2. Cut or break off the tough lower portion of each asparagus stalk. Place the asparagus in a steamer and steam for 10 minutes. (Or tie the asparagus in bunches and place upright in a deep saucepan. Add 1/2 cup boiling water and cook, covered, for 12 minutes, or until tender-crisp.) Drain the asparagus carefully.

3. Arrange on serving plates and spoon garlic sauce on top. Garnish with lemon slices (optional).

Parsleyed New Potatoes

INGREDIENTS:
3 dozen small red potatoes, unpeeled and quartered
Salt
Freshly ground pepper
1 cup minced fresh parsley

DIRECTIONS:

1. Scrub the outside of the potatoes. Place them in a steamer over simmer water and steam for 10 to 15 minutes, or until tender. Transfer to a large bowl; season to taste with salt and pepper and garnish with minced parsley.

Banana-Nut Sponge Cake

INGREDIENTS:
7 eggs, separated
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup matzo cake meal
1/4 cup potato starch
1 tsp salt
1 cup mashed bananas
1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat ove to 325 F.

2. In a large mixing bowl, beat the egg yolks and sugar until light in color and texture. Combine the matzo cake meal, potato starch, and salt. Add this a little at a time to the egg yolk mixture, alternately with the bananas, beating until smooth.

3. In a large mixing bowl, beat the egg whites until soft peaks form. Gently fold the beaten egg whites and the buts into the egg yolk mixture.

4. Pour the batter into an un-greased 10-inch tube pan. Bake for 45 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out dry and the cake is springy to the touch. Invert the pan onto a wire rack and cool. With a sharp knife, loosen the cake from the sides and center of the pan and un-mold onto a cake plate.

Chocolate-Covered Fruits

INGREDIENTS:
3 pounds Passover semisweet chocolate, broken into small pieces
12 ounces dried apricots
12 ounces dried figs
2 pints fresh strawberries

DIRECTIONS:

1. In the top of a double broiler, melt the chocolate over simmering water, stirring as it softens, until smooth.

2. Select 2 or 3 baking sheets that will fit in the refrigerator and line them with wax paper. One at a time, dip the apricots, figs, and strawberries into the melted chocolate, generously coating the bottom half of each piece of fruit.

3. Place each dipped fruit on the prepared baking sheets. Refrigerate until the chocolate has hardened, the cover lightly with wax paper and refrigerate until ready to serve. Peel the chocolate-covered fruit off the wax paper and transfer onto a serving platter.