Recipes for Passover

With Passover approaching, many families begin worrying about the food and what to serve for the Seder as well as the rest of the holy festival. The main symbol of the Passover holiday is matzo, or unleavened bread, so that's essential, but so is a good brisket, something for the kids and something for dessert.

Here are some recipes to help you out:

Matzo Ball Soup
Ingredients
2 (10 ounce) packages matzo crackers
1/2 cup butter
6 eggs
salt and pepper to taste
3 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
2 onions, minced
5 ounces matzo meal
96 ounces chicken broth

Directions

1. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil.
2. Break matzo crackers into small pieces, and place in a large bowl. Add water to cover; allow to soak for a few minutes, until soft. Drain off excess water.
3. Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat and stir in drained matzos; stir until mixture is dry and slightly brown. Remove from heat, and mix in eggs, salt and pepper to taste, parsley, and onions.
4. Mix in just enough matzo meal to make mixture hold together. Roll one golf ball-size matzo ball. Place matzo ball in the boiling water to test the mixture. The ball must rise to the top of the water and not break apart. If it does not rise, then too much matzo meal was added. In this case, add another beaten egg to the mixture and try again. When desired consistency is reached, roll all of mixture into golf ball size spheres.
5. In a large saucepan, bring chicken broth to a slow boil over medium heat; add balls to broth. Serve soup as the balls rise to the top of the broth.

Source:
http://allrecipes.com//Recipe/omas-fabulous-matzo-ball-soup/Detail.aspx

Brisket with Dried Apricots and Prunes
Ingredients
2/3 cup quartered dried apricots (about 4 ounces)
9 large garlic cloves
3 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 4 1/2- to 5-pound flat-cut beef brisket
3 tablespoons olive oil
4 cups chopped onions
2 medium carrots, coarsely chopped
1 tablespoon minced peeled fresh ginger
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 cup dry red wine
3 cups homemade beef stock or canned low-salt beef broth
2/3 cup pitted prunes, quartered
Chopped fresh cilantro

Directions:
Combine 1/3 cup apricots, 3 garlic cloves, 1 teaspoon cumin, salt, cinnamon, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in processor. Using on/off turns, chop to coarse puree. Using small sharp knife, make 1/2-inch-deep slits all over brisket. Set aside 1 tablespoon apricot mixture. Press remaining apricot mixture into slits.

Position rack in bottom third of oven and preheat to 300°F. Heat oil in heavy large ovenproof pot over medium-high heat. Sprinkle brisket all over with salt and pepper. Add brisket to pot and sauté until brown, about 5 minutes per side. Transfer to plate, fat side up; spread with reserved 1 tablespoon apricot mixture. Add onions to same pot. Sauté over medium-high heat 5 minutes. Add carrots, ginger, coriander, cayenne pepper, remaining 6 garlic cloves and 2 1/2 teaspoons cumin; sauté 3 minutes. Add wine and boil until reduced almost to glaze, stirring up any browned bits, about 5 minutes. Return brisket to pot. Add stock and bring to simmer. Spoon some of vegetable mixture over brisket.

Cover pot and place in oven. Roast brisket 2 1/2 hours, basting every 30 minutes with pan juices. Add prunes and remaining 1/3 cup apricots. Cover; roast until brisket is tender, about 30 minutes longer. Cool brisket uncovered 1 hour. Chill uncovered until cold, then cover and keep chilled overnight.

Spoon off any solid fat from top of gravy; discard fat. Scrape gravy off brisket into pot. Place brisket on work surface. Slice brisket thinly across grain. Bring gr avy in pot to boil over medium-high heat. Boil to thicken slightly, if desired. Season gravy with salt and pepper. Arrange sliced brisket in large ovenproof dish. Spoon gravy over. Cover with foil. (Can be made 2 days ahead; refrigerate.)

Rewarm covered brisket in 350°F oven about 30 minutes (or 40 minutes if chilled). Sprinkle with cilantro and serve.

Source:
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Brisket-with-Dried-Apricots-Prunes-and-Aromatic-Spices-106421#ixzz1IhkCD3rA

Kids' Favorite Passover Pizza
Ingredients
1/4 cup spaghetti sauce
2 matzo crackers
1 pinch garlic salt
1 pinch dried oregano
3/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1 tomato, sliced
1/4 cup sliced black olives

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. Spread marinara sauce on the pieces of matzo. Sprinkle garlic salt and oregano over the tomato sauce. Cover with cheese, tomato slices, and olives. Place pizzas on cookie sheets.
3. Bake for 5 minutes at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C), or until cheese has melted.

Source: http://allrecipes.com//Recipe/kids-favorite-passover-pizza/Detail.aspx

Chocolate-Covered Matzo
Ingredients
4 sheets unsalted non-egg matzo
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1 cup packed dark-brown sugar
1 (12-ounce) package semisweet chocolate chips (2 cups)
Coarse sea salt

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 250 degrees.
2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place matzo in an even layer on baking sheet and set aside.
3. Melt butter in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Add brown sugar and immediately reduce temperature to low. Cook, stirring, adjusting heat as necessary, until sugar has completely dissolved and begins to bubble. Drizzle toffee over matzo and spread to cover using a spatula.
4. Transfer toffee-covered matzo to oven and bake until toffee has a rich, shiny sheen, 10 to 20 minutes.
5. Remove from oven and sprinkle with chocolate chips. Tent matzo with aluminum foil and let stand 20 to 30 minutes.
6. Remove foil tent and spread melted chocolate over matzo to cover; sprinkle with sea salt. Transfer matzo to refrigerator and let chill at least 2 hours.
7. Break chilled matzo into pieces. Matzo will keep in an airtight container for up to 4 days at room temperature.

Makes 4 sheets.
Source:
http://www.yumsugar.com/Homemade-Toffee-Chocolate-Matzah-Passover-Recipe-7873324