Simple and sweet recipes for Passover and all year round

By the time you read this, we will be halfway through the holiday, and I hope it has been enjoyable and delicious so far. But right now, it’s a few days before Passover and you can imagine how hectic things are, so I’ll keep it short and sweet – like these recipes for you to enjoy for the remainder of Passover, as well as all year long.

Smoothies

Every year on Hol Hamoed, my family has something we call “smoothies and a movie,” where we pick a family-friendly movie, sometimes Passover-themed, we put on the air conditioner, get into comfy cozies (my mother-in-law’s way of saying “pajamas”), and sip on refreshing smoothies.

These are also good to serve as a starter for a chag meal, and taste great with a splash of white wine, too.

Yields 6 servings.

• 500 gr. bag frozen strawberries (about 4 cups)
• 2 cups of orange juice
• ¼ cup honey (optional)

In a blender (or food processor with the S blade attachment), place the frozen strawberries and orange juice and begin by pulsing until they start to break down. Then mix on high speed for a minute or two until everything is smooth. Add the honey if you want to sweeten it more, then give another mix.

Pour into tall glasses, add a straw, sit back, and enjoy!

If you want to serve these for a refreshing starter on Shabbat or chag, then prepare them the day before, place in a large container with a seal, and place in the freezer. In the morning, about 3-4 hours before the meal, take the container out of the freezer and place it in the fridge. Then scoop out with a spoon and pour into glasses before serving. Add a splash of white wine if you desire.

Zucchini Carrot Fritters 

I love these fritters. Okay fine, they’re latkes, but who says you can’t combine our holidays? Honestly, they use way less oil than latkes and are really great for breakfast or to take for lunch on the go. Plus they’re great all year long.

Yields a dozen fritters.

• 3 zucchinis
• 1 onion
• 3 carrots
• 3 large or 4 medium eggs
• 1/3 cup oil
• 1 cup potato starch
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 2 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. ground black pepper
• Olive oil for frying

Shred the zucchini onto a clean towel, and let sit for 10 to 20 minutes. In the meantime, peel and shred the carrots and onion and place in a mixing bowl. Roll up the towel of shredded zucchini and squeeze out any excess water over the sink, then add the zucchini to the carrots and onion. Add in the remaining ingredients and mix well.

In a frying pan, heat about ¼ cup of olive oil. Use a slotted spoon to put the zucchini mixture into the pan. Fry for about 3 minutes on each side. Remove from the pan and place on paper towels to absorb any excess oil. Remove the paper towels before storing in the fridge. Serve warm or at room temperature at home, on a picnic, or an outing.

Shepherd’s Pie (aka Cottage Pie)

This simple dish is very versatile, as it works great for a festive meal as well as Monday night dinner. It’s simple to make and reheats well if you’re making it ahead of time.

Yields 1 round 8” or 20 cm. pan.

• 6 large potatoes, peeled and cubed
• 2 onions, diced
• ½ cup olive oil
• ½ kilo ground beef (1 lb.)
• 2 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. black ground pepper

Heat a large pot with water (halfway) and put in the cubed potatoes and 1 tsp salt. Boil for about 30 minutes, until soft. Drain the water and set aside.

Preheat the oven to 170°C/350°F. In a large frying pan, heat up the olive oil and sauté the onions for about 5 minutes. Add half of the onions to the potatoes and mash until soft. Add in salt and pepper to taste, and set aside.

Break up the ground beef and add it to the frying pan with the remaining onions. On low heat, slightly brown the beef; while stirring, add in more black pepper. Do not cook the ground beef fully, just slightly browned and mixed in well with the onions.

In a deep round dish or pan (8” or 20 cm. in diameter), place a thin layer of the potatoes on the bottom of the pan and press down. Add in all the ground beef, and then top with the remaining mashed potatoes. Drizzle on some olive oil, use a fork to create lines if desired, and bake for 50 minutes uncovered.

Matzah Chocolate Crack 

This snack is just perfect for Passover to help you use up all the matzah that you’ve still got plenty of. You can use any kind of roasted nuts. Here I use almonds, but pecans work just as well.

Yields one 9” x 13” pan (23cm x 33cm).

• 4 pieces square matzah
• 1 ½ cups roasted almonds, chopped
• ½ cup margarine or coconut oil
• ½ cup brown sugar
• 4 Tbsp. white sugar
• 4 Tbsp. honey
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 2 cups of chocolate chips
• 1 tsp. coarse salt

Preheat the oven to 170°C/350°F. Line the pan with the matzah and set aside. In a small pot on very low heat, add the margarine, sugars, and honey. Continue to mix and bring to a low boil for 2-3 minutes. Shut off the heat and add vanilla extract. Mix well. Pour the caramel over the matzah, and spread evenly in the pan.

Place the pan in the oven for about 10 minutes. In the meantime, chop the almonds or pecans – I do this by placing the roasted nuts in a Ziploc bag, and then I crush them by hitting the bag with a wooden spoon.

Prepare the 2 cups of chocolate chips and pour them over the caramel as soon as it comes out of the oven. Let the chocolate sit for about 1 minute to melt, and then use a knife to spread it evenly. Sprinkle on the chopped nuts and coarse salt.

Let cool and keep refrigerated. Break into pieces, and serve.

I’LL GET back to my cleaning and cooking now, but just knowing that this will be read when all my Passover prep is done is giving me a sense of accomplishment and relief.

Wishing you and yours a continued chag kasher ve’same’ach. ■

The writer is a kitchen coach who teaches women how to meal plan and cook so they get dinner on the table and prepare for Shabbat and hag on time. Learn more: www.inthekitchenwithhenny.com