Kosher-For-Passover Recipes

Turkish Charoset | from Blue Kale Road

Ashkenazi Jews traditionally like their charoset plain and simple. Apples, walnuts, and a little red wine. Sephardic Jews often spice it up, with extra fruits and nuts. Whether you’re looking to tone it up or tone it down, this Turkish charoset recipe is a happy medium for anyone.

2 sweet apples, peeled and chopped into small pieces
½ pound dates, pitted and roughly chopped
1 cup raisins (I use golden)
Juice and grated zest of 1 orange
2 ounces pistachios (or walnuts)

Place all the ingredients in a food processor and pulse until it forms a rough mixture. You can process until it becomes a paste, too, if you prefer. Chill in the fridge until ready to eat. For a twist the kids will love, serve in a bowl and break up matzah pieces for a chips-and-dip feel, or serve it on matzah fragments as more sophisticated hors d’oeuvres.

Potato Kugel | by OMG Yummy

To please both the traditionalists and those longing for a little extra excitement, try this revamped potato kugel. It’s got exciting new flavors and colors, with just the right amount of the classic potato kugel we all know and love. Tip: the deeper the pan, the longer the kugel will take to bake.

3 pounds Russet Potatoes peeled and grated
2-3 medium carrots grated
1 onion chopped
1/2 onion grated
3 eggs
1/3 chopped parsley
1/2 cup matzo meal
10 tablespoons of olive or vegetable oil
1 tablespoon Za’atar (or dried thyme)
1 tablespoon Kosher Salt
1 tablespoon pepper
1 teaspoon Aleppo pepper or paprika on the top

Slowly caramelize the chopped onion in skillet using a couple tablespoons of olive oil. Let it cook low and slow – you don’t want to sear it but rather slowly caramelize them. If you have za’atar, add in a tablespoon while the onions are cooking. If not, add in a teaspoon of thyme and a dash of salt and pepper.

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. If you like a really crispy crust, add about 3 tablespoons of olive oil or vegetable oil to the bottom of your kugel pan and preheat the whole pan with the oil in it in the oven while you preheat.

While the onions are cooking and the oven is preheating, shred the potatoes using the shredder disc of your food processor. Shred the carrots and half of an onion as well. Put all the shredded vegetables in a large mixing bowl.

Add the three eggs, ½ cup of flour or matzo meal, 1/3 cup of chopped parsley and the cooked and slightly cooled onions plus a quarter cup of the oil. Add a teaspoon of pepper and 2 teaspoons of salt (less or more as you prefer). Mix well.

When the kugel mixture is ready, carefully remove the hot kugel pan from the oven. Put the potato mixture in the hot pan. Brush another 1-2 tablespoons of oil on top and sprinkle it either with Aleppo pepper or paprika for the color and the flavor.

Bake for 1 hour, then broil it for about 3 minutes to really get that “burnt” top.

Chocolate Chip Banana Ice Cream | by Chelsey Amer Nutrition

For a delicious, dairy-free desert after your big brisket dinner, try this vegan chocolate chip banana ice cream, made with just a few ingredients but wonderfully sweet and salty.

6 medium bananas, sliced and frozen
½ cup milk of choice (for vegan, dairy-free ice cream, use plant-based milk like soy milk or almond milk)
¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
¼ cup dark chocolate chips
½ teaspoon sea salt or pink Himalayan salt

In a food processor or high-powered blender, combine all ingredients except for chocolate chips and blend/process until smooth. Add half of the chocolate chips and pulse into combined.

Transfer ice cream into a freezer-safe container (that has a lid to prevent freezer burn), mix in the remaining chocolate chips and freeze for at least 30 minutes, allowing the mixture to solidify for more ice cream-like consistency.

Enjoy in a bowl, cone, or straight from the freezer!

Flourless Chocolate Cake | by Veggie Balance

Baking woes about substituting flour are solved if you just don’t use flour! A cake without flour? Ultra-dense, ultra-rich, and topped with a thick chocolate ganache, this cake will show you that for Passover, forgoing chametz doesn’t have to mean forgoing your sweet tooth. This cake can also be made dairy-free to pair perfectly with a meat meal.

For the cake:

1 1/2 cups dairy-free (or dark) chocolate chips
5 oz of butter or dairy-free butter alternative
6 eggs
1/4 cup sugar or honey
3 eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1/3 cup cocoa powder
1 teaspoon sea salt

For the chocolate ganache:

3/4 cup dairy-free (or dark) chocolate chips
4 tablespoons butter dairy-free butter alternative
3 tablespoons milk or plant-based milk (unsweetened almond milk recommended)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare an 8-inch springform pan by lining the bottom with a circle of parchment paper (another type of pan will do, but a springform pan allows easy removal of the cake). Grease the sides of pan with a thin coat of butter. Wrap the outside of the pan with 2 sheets of aluminum foil and set into a pan larger than the springform pan. Bring a kettle to boil or ready a pot of boiling water.

In a large mixing bowl, add 6 eggs and sugar. Whisk or using a Mixer, beat eggs at high speed until they double in size. (Be patient, if you doing this by hand it might take at least 7 minutes). In a microwave safe bowl add chocolate chips and butter. Microwave on high, every 30-seconds stirring in between until they are melted. Fold melted chocolate into eggs.

Add vanilla extract, 1/2 of the cocoa powder, and salt. Continue to fold until mostly combined, and add remaining cocoa powder. Be careful to not overmix the batter and allow it to lose its volume!

Pour cake mix into springform pan. Place large pan and springform pan into oven. Carefully pour in enough boiling water to come at least halfway up the sides of the springform pan. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until cake forms a thin crust. Cake should be firm in the middle when done and almost resemble the crust of a brownie. Pull cake out and allow to cool to room temperature before removing the springform sides.

While the cake is cooling, make the chocolate ganache. Melt the chocolate chips and butter in a microwave safe bowl, stirring every 30 seconds until chocolate and butter are melted. Stir in almond milk. To frost with the ganache, carefully remove the sides of the springform pan, flipping the cake upside side to carefully peel off the parchment paper. Place cake onto serving platter. Spoon warm chocolate ganache over cake, and serve.