Passover Daily Eats

Lots of Passover related posts this week, but since I write about food and this holiday is a lot about food, that’s what’s on my mind! Thanks for your nice comments and interest in the holiday, I hope you’ve found it interesting!

Here’s my latest CultureMap story: Passover for Dummies: Explaining the holiday to the uninformed.

Haroset

Haroset is a staple during Passover, and one of my favorites. I’d eat this year round. It is very simple to make, no baking or cooking. It also makes enough for a lot of people, or to have for yourself for a long time. Sweet, crunchy and juicy, a great addition to a meal anytime.

Ingredients:

• 12 apples, peeled and cut in chunks
• 2 tsp sugar
• 2 C pecans
• 1 T cinnamon
• 1/2-3/4 bottle of Manischevitz red wine

Instructions:

• Chop apples in a food processor or nut chopper, but watch so it doesn’t turn to mush.
• In a large bowl, combine everything and start with 1/2 bottle of wine, add more if it’s too dry.
• Store in airtight container in the refrigerator for a few days.

Quinoa for Passover

My husband sent me this article in the New York Times about whether quinoa is kosher for Passover or not. I love how it says that quinoa is like the belle of the Passover ball because I am digging using quinoa for breakfast.

Speaking of breakfast, it is really hard during Passover for me because I am such a breakfast person, and I really don’t like matzo. But I do like Tam Tams, a matzo like bite size cracker. I also like breakfast to be packed with protein because I workout before breakfast usually, and I want to start the day right with something nutritious. Protein also helps me stay full until lunch. Matzo with jam and cream cheese doesn’t sit well or keep me full.

Since I realized that quinoa is K for P, I decided to make it for breakfast on the first morning of Passover. I boiled 1/4 C black quinoa in 1/2 C water for about 10 minutes until the water dissolved and mixed it with Greek yogurt, blueberries and strawberry jam.

Quinoa by itself is very nutty and chewy. It doesn’t taste like anything by itself, so I mixed the whole bowl together, seen below. Not pretty, but at least it’s filling and packed with protein.

On the second morning, I had a cup of Chobani with a banana and a matzo bagel! Pardon the poor quality iPhone photo and bite out of the bagel, we were at my mother-in-law’s house and I thought I should take a picture. She makes matzo bagels and they are delicious. Much denser and smaller than a real bagel, but really tasty with jam.

When I first started dating Jeffrey during college, he brought these bagels back from Houston for Passover. I thought it was genius! But the recipe is secret. It is definitely a staple for Passover in this family!

Lots of breakfasts to go, what else do you suggest?

Do you have any questions about the holiday? I have a rabbi student friend who reads the blog who would probably be happy to answer!