Passover recipes that mix the old with the new, from matzah balls to quinoa salad
Traditions will be honored at Seders across the country when Passover begins on Saturday, March 27. Though it's likely seats will still be empty as the pandemic continues to alter holy days.
Gail Ciampa, of USA TODAY Network's The Providence Journal, is sharing the recipe for the almond macaroons she always makes to bring to her friend Shelly's Seder. They are thin treats and thin is the key word after a Passover feast.
The recipe comes from Providence, Rhode Island's own Joan Nathan. It was in her 2011 cookbook "Quiches, Kugels, and Couscous: My Search for Jewish Cooking in France" (Knopf).
As for the quinoa recipe, it comes from Danielle Renov. She said it is up for debate whether this is, in fact, a salad at all.
"It’s healthy, colorful, has fruits and vegetables in it, and I serve it alongside a protein. so now it’s a salad," she wrote.
Renov became a social media sensation with her blog peaslovencarrots.com, Instagram feed @peaslovencarrots and YouTube channel at peaslovencarrots. They offer recipes, cooking tutorials, lifestyle tips and inspirational ideas.
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Her first cookbook, “Peas, Love & Carrots” was published by ArtScroll Mesorah Publications Ltd. in 2020.
Jerusalem is home for the New York-born Danielle and husband Eli, parents of eight.
For Passover, she shared her quinoa salad recipe and one for Matzah Balls.
Here's how to make these recipes at home:
Passover Almond Macaroons
4 large egg whites
1 1/4 cups sugar
2 cups ground almonds or almond flour
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
Preheat the oven to 300 degrees, and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Whip the egg whites to almost-stiff peaks in the bowl of an electric mixer. In another bowl, stir together the sugar, ground almonds and almond extract. Fold the sugar-and-almond mixture gently into the egg whites in three batches.
Drop teaspoons of the batter onto the baking sheet, and bake for about 15 minutes, or until just dry.
Makes about 7 dozen.
From "Quiches, Kugels, and Couscous: My Search for Jewish Cooking in France" (Knopf, 2011) by Joan Nathan.
Quinoa, Sweet Potato, Cranberry & Almond Salad
1 cup red quinoa, rinsed well
1⁄4 cup plus 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil, divided use
3⁄4 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
1 3⁄4 cups water
3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons honey
1⁄2 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
1 large sweet potato (or 2 small), peeled, cut into 1⁄4 inch cubes
1⁄4 teaspoon paprika
1⁄4 teaspoon sumac
1⁄2 teaspoon granulated garlic
1⁄2 cup slivered almonds
1 cup dried cranberries
4 scallions, chopped
1 cup parsley leaves, chopped
Reduce heat to low, cover the pot, and allow quinoa to simmer for about 15 minutes, until it is tender.
Pour cooked quinoa into a fine mesh strainer and allow any excess liquid to strain out. (Quinoa retains lots of liquid, so, although this step is not absolutely necessary, it is highly recommended.)
Add vinegar, honey, and pepper to the drained quinoa. Mix to distribute evenly.
While quinoa is simmering, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
Place sweet potato, 2 tablespoons oil, paprika, sumac, garlic, and 1⁄4 teaspoon salt onto 1 prepared baking sheet.
Allow each element to cool separately.
Once cooled, combine quinoa, sweet potato, almonds, cranberries, scallions, and parsley in a large bowl.
Tips and tricks: Rinsing quinoa is an essential step. The quinoa seed has a bitter exterior and rinsing the quinoa very well actually removes that outer layer and yields a more palatable flavor.Serve cold
Excerpted from "Peas Love and Carrots" by Danielle Renov, copyright 2020 by ArtScroll Mesorah Publications
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Matzah Balls
1 cup matzah meal
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
4 eggs, beaten
¼ cup oil
Once all the matzah balls are in the liquid, reduce heat to low, cover the pot, and cook matzah balls 30 minutes, until cooked through.
Tips: Put them in everything, not just chicken soup. Let them soak up the flavors of other soups/dishes. Add in chopped herbs, garlic, or minced onion. This recipe is really good as is, but also the best place to start playing with flavors!
Excerpted from "Peas Love and Carrots" by Danielle Renov, copyright 2020 by ArtScroll Mesorah Publications
This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Passover: Seder recipes from matzah balls to almond macaroons
