Two Positive Stories about Orthodox Jews
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Enjoy feeling full of energy and not heavy with extra weight.
With a week of eating super healthy Passover recipes we can enjoy feeling full of energy and not heavy with extra weight.
This salad can be made with one small purple cabbage and one small green cabbage and/or a combination of dark green kale, Boston red curly lettuce, romaine lettuce and arugula lettuce.
If using cabbages, slice them thin.
If you are using lettuces, shred into pieces
Slice four scallions and five sprigs of fresh parsley.
Slice one large purple onion and one large red pepper or several smaller ones of various colors: yellow, green and orange peppers.
Shred four carrots
Slice one large red radish
Toss the greens together in a large salad bowl, then garnish with the rest of the sliced vegetables and shredded carrots. Be creative! Arrange flower designs!
Place Nut dressing ingredients in a jar with a tight lid and shake vigorously:
Add flavorful Nut Dressing to the bowl of salad greens and toss some more!
Then decorate with the grated carrots, radish, peppers, purple onion slices and fresh herbs.
IMPORTANT NOTE: Soaked almonds swell double in size and taste sweeter. Try soaking almonds for several hours until double in size, then drain excess water and store in the refrigerator to use for numerous recipes.
There are different vegetables used for Karpas on Seder night. Customs vary from boiled potatoes, to raw onions, celery or parsley. If you have a lot of parsley left over, try this exotic recipe!
Slice parsley, place in a salad bowl and mix with grated carrots and dressing.
Decorate with purple onion slices and chopped nuts.
Gorgeous and delicious!
Avocados are an excellent source of healthy oil, good calories for extra energy and are very filling. They are a great addition to salads, eaten plain with a spoon, or as the base for delicious spreads for matzah and baked vegetables.
Blend in food processor or mash by hand
Slice and dice the vegetables and place in a large mixing bowl.
Open can of fish of choice, chop in a different bowl and then add to vegetable salad.
Mix together with lemon juice and olive oil.
For each layer, simmer the ingredients separately in a small amount of water. Drain any extra liquid and save for soup stock.
Layer 1: Onion/garlic
Sauté the onions in the olive oil on a very low flame. Add ¼ cup water, cover pan and steam gently until soft, about 15 minutes.
Layer 2: Green Zucchini Layer (steamed ~ 10 minutes)
Layer 3: Carrot/Sweet Potato Layer (simmer about 20 minutes):
Layer 4: Spinach for Green Layer (steamed ~ 8 minutes or less)
Wash well a lot of spinach, ~ about four packages, as it shrinks considerably when steamed.
Assembling the layers:
Once soft, blend the onions and garlic and add:
Pour first layer of onions and garlic into an oiled 9 x 14 inch baking pan
Spoon onto the onion layer the steamed circles of zucchinis
Blend carrot/sweet potato mix** and gently place on top of the zucchini layer
Blend the steamed spinach/kale with 1 tablespoon of lemon juice
This casserole looks lovely assembled in a deep round glass baking dish. Add olive oil to the pan and then:
First layer: onions
Second layer: zucchinis
Third layer: sweet potatoes and carrots**
Fourth layer: spinach and greens
Bake for about 45 to 50 minutes in a 350 (180) degree oven until firm.
** For more exotic casserole add ¼ cup of soaked almonds to this layer when blending the sweet potatoes and carrots
Huge hearty soup for a Pesach gathering!
(Optional: add four sliced cucumbers and several leaves of lettuce. We have recently discovered that cucumbers and lettuce are great additions to simmering soup!)
Directions:
Wash, peel and slice carrots, butternut squash, sweet potatoes, slice celery, onion and garlic. Then add and simmer together for about forty minutes.
Slice and add mushrooms and spinach, and spices, cucumbers and lettuce last.
Simmer for another 30 to 40 minutes.
Cholent can expand to accommodate as many guests as you hope to feed on Shabbos by simply adding more potatoes, carrots, butternut squash or sweet potatoes.
The basics of cholent include:
4 large onions, chopped or grated, simmered in water of 2 tablespoons of olive oil with 6 large cloves of garlic. Then add 2-3 large potatoes, cut into medium size pieces 4 or 5 large carrots, sliced into large rounds 1-2 sweet potatoes, cut into medium size pieces ½ a large butternut squash, cut into medium chunks
Add enough water to cover the vegetables and start simmering!
For exotic cholent, soak ½ cup of almonds for several hours, or overnight, and add to the cholent.
For exotic meat cholent add 1-2 pounds (~ ½ to 1 kilo) of cubed white chicken or cubed pieces of red meat.
Simmer cholent for about 40 minutes before Shabbos.
By hand, chop and mix or blend all ingredients in a food processor:
After chopping and mixing by hand or blending all ingredients in a food processor, separate the mixture into three of four kishkes and arrange on an oiled baking pan or a sheet of baking paper.
Bake in the oven (350 degrees F. (180 degrees Centigrade) for about 60 to 90 minutes. Turn the kishkes over after 45 minutes and continue baking.
Serve with cholent!
Steam the vegetables for about ten minutes. Place in a large serving bowl.
Mix in a small bowl, or shake in a glass jar, all the marinade dressing ingredients, then pour on the steamed salad ingredients.
Decorate with 10 halved cherry tomatoes, fresh parsley and scallions.
Ingredients: onions, garlic, mushrooms, celery, walnuts
Slice and simmer 6 chopped onions and 2 cloves of garlic for about twenty minutes. Add ¼ cup of seasoned water (pinch of salt, pepper, onion powder).
Add 2 cups of button mushroom and simmer for another ten minutes.
Blend softened onions and mushroom in food processor with
Blend briefly for chunky liver, and longer for a smoother dip
For more exotic, add 4 or 5 dark green scallions to blend.
Decorate with fresh parsley and/or fresh dill.
“Matzah pizza” may not sound exotic, but it’s simple to make and always a family favorite for kids of all ages (that includes adults!). And when matzo pizza transforms into lasagna… wow!
Ingredients:
Directions: Place 4 square matzahs or one large round matzah on baking paper on an oven tray. Generously spread sliced tomatoes or pour tomato sauce on the matzos. Garnish with grated cheese. Sprinkle with dried oregano, basil, paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, and black pepper.
For exotic pizza and a parve version for those who are dairy-free or don’t have a milchig oven for Pesach, generously decorate sauce with sliced onions, olives, pepper slices, sliced mushrooms, chunks of radishes, and/or cherry tomatoes
Add several tablespoons of olive oil (optional)
Bake in the oven for about 10 to 20 minutes 325 degrees (175 degrees Centigrade) or until the cheese melts and vegetables soften.
To make lasagna: Assemble “pizza layers” in a deep oven tray. Three to four layers with assorted vegetables included make rich, hearty lasagna.
Bake for 20 minutes at 350 degrees (180) degrees.
Matzah Brei is another favorite yummy breakfast dish not known as “exotic” but when it transforms into Matzah Brei Parmiagna than that too is wow!
Matzah brei is as simple as making scrambled eggs, with the special “Pesach” matzah flavor! Easy for even kids to make!
Place into a bowl 2 matzahs, broken into small pieces
¼ cup of hot water to soak the matzos until slightly soft but not mushy
Drain the water out and then add and mix:
Scoop the matzo brei mixture into an oiled skillet on medium flame and fry for about five minutes.
This recipe can be expanded to feed many people by averaging one matzo and one egg per person, and adding more water to cover the matzos to let them soften.
If you make a huge batch with a dozen eggs and matzahs then you are ready to make: Exotic Matzah Brei Parmigiana
Parmigiana is made with layers of matzah brie and vegetables. Assembled and baked in the oven and very delicious!
Sauce: Place in a large pan: 8-10 ripe tomatoes (one kilo), 3 sliced onions, 4 crushed garlic cloves, 1 tablespoon basil, 1 tablespoon oregano, 1 teaspoon sea salt, ½ hot pepper flakes, and ½ teaspoon black pepper. Simmer for 30 minutes.
More Exotic Mushroom Parmigiana: Add four packages of a variety of mushrooms (shitake, portabella, maitake, champignon, oyster forest mushrooms — there are more varieties!), two sliced zucchinis and three sprigs of fresh parsley to the simmering sauce. Simmer for thirty minutes on a low flame.
Parmigiana can even be the traditional version made with eggplants!
Layer One: Place matzo brei in a slightly oiled deep oven dish, generously top with sauce and 2 tablespoons of olive oil.
Two or three layers of parmigiana are exquisite.
Sprinkle top layer with paprika.
Bake for thirty minutes to let flavors mix.
Peel 10-20 (as many as you have!) very ripe bananas and freeze overnight.
Remove frozen bananas. Carefully slice into chunks and place frozen pieces in a food processor.
Add 1 cup water (or 1 cup almond milk) and blend until smooth.
Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon of cinnamon, chopped walnuts, pecans, hickory nuts, almonds and/or chocolate chips.
What makes this simple ice cream exotic? Sprinkling with nuts, including macadamias!