For those who feel overwhelmed by Passover because of the demands of cooking without leaven, a word: Don’t.
After all, on this most celebrated of Jewish holidays we are allowed to eat fish, meat, poultry, eggs, nuts, fruits, most vegetables and fresh herbs.
The recipes that follow are nutritious, flavorful, easy to prepare and they emphasize fresh, seasonal ingredients.
Most people, like myself, favor their own traditional menu. Each year I repeat the seder menu as a way to hold on to cherished family traditions. Here are some recipes from my cookbook “New Kosher Cuisine.”
Chicken Salad with Radicchio and Pine Nuts
Serves 6
For chicken:
1 small red onion, very thinly sliced
6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 6 oz. each)
2 Tbs. extra virgin olive oil for greasing the chicken
kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
1 head radicchio, shredded
1 to 2 bunches arugula, leaves torn if they are large
1⁄2 cup loosely packed flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
Place the onion slices in a small bowl and cover with cold water. Let stand for 30 minutes. Drain and pat dry. Place in a large serving bowl.
Pat the chicken dry with paper towels and grease with oil. Season lightly with salt and pepper.
Place each chicken breast in the center of a piece of cling wrap and wrap it so that it is completely covered. Place the packages in a steamer, cover and steam over high heat for about 9 minutes. (The inside of the chicken should still be pale pink.) Turn off the heat and let stand for 1 minute.
Remove the chicken and cool, still wrapped. When cool, unwrap the chicken and cut it on the diagonal into thin strips. Place in the bowl with the onions.
For sweet and sour dressing:
1⁄3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1⁄2 cup pine nuts
1⁄2 cup raisins or currants
2 Tbs. Marsala wine
2 Tbs. balsamic vinegar
Heat the oil in a saucepan. Add the pine nuts and raisins and sauté over low heat until the pine nuts are lightly golden. Remove from the heat and add the wine and vinegar.
Add the radicchio, arugula and parsley to the chicken and onions; toss with the dressing. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Marinated Salmon
Serves 6
6 skinless center-cut salmon fillets (about 6 oz. each)
1 tsp. extra virgin olive oil for greasing the pan
kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
Preheat the oven to 200 degrees. Grease a glass or enamel-lined baking pan that can hold the fillets in a single layer.
Pat the fillets dry with paper towels and season them lightly on both sides with salt and pepper. Place them in the dish and bake, uncovered, for 25 to 30 minutes, or until cooked to your taste.
Remove the baking pan from the oven, cover with foil and let cool completely. (The fish will continue cooking outside of the oven.)
Marinade:
3 Tbs. extra virgin olive oil
4 Tbs. rice vinegar (for Passover, replace with white wine vinegar)
11⁄2 tsp. salt
freshly ground black pepper
1 small red onion, very thinly sliced (see note below)
15 dill sprigs, snipped finely with scissors, plus 2 sprigs, snipped, for garnish
In a medium bowl, whisk together the olive oil, vinegar and salt. Add pepper to taste. Pour the marinade over the salmon, add the onion and sprinkle with the 15 snipped sprigs of dill.
Cover the dish with wax paper, then foil and refrigerate for 2 to 3 days without turning.
To serve: Bring the salmon to room temperature. Place on individual plates along with some of the marinade and onions. Garnish with the fresh snipped dill.
Note: I use a mandoline to slice the onion, as it makes the cutting easier.
Chicken with Potatoes and Olives
Serves 4
5 Tbs. extra virgin olive oil
9 garlic cloves
kosher salt
1⁄4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
Leaves from 10 thyme sprigs freshly ground black pepper
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 6 oz. each)
5 plum tomatoes
1 lb. Yukon gold potatoes, unpeeled, quartered
1⁄2 cup pitted black olives, quartered
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. With 1 Tbs. of the oil, grease a glass, ceramic or enamel-lined baking pan that can hold all the vegetables in a single layer.
Coarsely chop 4 of the garlic cloves on a cutting board. Sprinkle with 1⁄2 tsp. salt and, using a knife, crush them into a paste. Place the paste in a small bowl and combine it with the lemon juice, 2 Tbs. of the oil, half of the thyme leaves and pepper to taste.
Pat dry the chicken breasts with paper towels and season lightly on both sides with salt and pepper. Coat chicken with the mixture and set aside.
Bring a pot of water to a boil. Drop the tomatoes into the boiling water; bring the water to a boil and drain. Core tomatoes and slip off the skin. Cut the tomatoes in half widthwise and squeeze gently to remove the seeds. Cut the tomatoes in quarters.
Thickly slice the remaining 5 garlic cloves and spread them in the prepared baking pan along with the tomatoes, potatoes, olives, the rest of the thyme leaves, and the remaining 2 Tbs. oil. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Roast the vegetables, uncovered, for 20 minutes or until almost tender.
Place the chicken breasts on top of the vegetables and bake, uncovered, for 5 minutes. Turn them over, spoon on some pan juices and bake for another 5 minutes, or until the chicken is slightly pink on the inside. Cover with foil for 1 minute.
Chocolate Meringue Squares
Makes 40-42 squares
1 Tbs. unsalted margarine for greasing the pan
1⁄2 lb. blanched almonds
6 oz. good-quality imported semisweet chocolate, broken into small pieces
8 large egg whites
1 cup sugar
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9-by-13-by-2-inch baking pan with wax paper and grease the paper with the margarine.
Chop the almonds in a food processor, in two batches, until medium-fine. Transfer to a bowl. Chop the chocolate in the processor until fine, and combine with the almonds.
Place the egg whites in the bowl of an electric stand mixer. Using the balloon whisk attachment, beat at high speed until foamy. Gradually add the sugar and beat until stiff.
With a large rubber spatula, gently fold the chocolate-almond mixture into the egg whites, making a motion like a figure 8 with the spatula. Do not overmix.
Spoon the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake on the middle shelf of the oven for 25 to 30 minutes, until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out almost dry.
Cool on a wire rack. Invert onto a cutting board and peel off the paper. Cut into 11⁄2-inch squares.
Notes: It is easier to separate the eggs straight from the refrigerator, when they are cold. Make sure the whites have come to room temperature before beating.
To freeze the squares, place them side by side in an air-tight plastic container, with wax paper between the layers.