Staying Fit
While those of us of the Jewish faith prepare to celebrate Passover, a biblical story including not having time to let the bread rise when Moses liberated the Jews from Egyptian slavery, there’s another story line that fills modern Jewish households every Passover: How do we go eight days without bagels?
We have the answer. Instead of focusing on the bagels, other leavened breads and pasta we can’t have, fill the eight days of Passover with whole wheat matzo brei, homemade chicken soup and homemade kosher hot chocolate.
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So put those boxed soup mixes and processed treats back on the shelf, and try these Passover pantry staples, recipes and treats recommended by kosher chefs and cookbook authors Paula Shoyer and Jamie Geller. Shoyer, “the kosher baker,” is author of The Healthy Jewish Kitchen, The New Passover Menu, The Instant Pot Kosher Cookbook and other cookbooks. Geller hosts the Chanukah Cooking Special on PBS and Create TV and is the author of the Joy of Kosher and Jewlish by Jamie.
1. Matzo brei
Traditionally, matzo brei is a healthy breakfast food of matzo soaked in egg. The less-than-healthy part comes from the syrup added to the Jewish French toast version. Skip pouring on the syrup and instead use a measured amount of bee honey or date honey, such as Jamie Geller’s kosher-for-Passover date honey. You’ll limit your sugar intake and skip the processed syrups.
2. Whole wheat matzo, whole and meal
Matzo crackers are lightly processed and consist of just wheat and water. Whole wheat matzo generally has 3 grams of fiber versus 0 grams in plain matzo. Break apart the matzo and grind it in your blender to create a finely ground matzo meal for cakes or matzo balls. If your blender can’t do the trick, get boxed whole wheat matzo meal.
To make matzo balls, combine 4 lightly beaten eggs, ¼ cup olive oil, ¼ cup water, a teaspoon of salt, and pepper and garlic to taste in a bowl. Refrigerate for half an hour. Form into balls and drop them into a boiling pot of Paula Shoyer’s real chicken broth (see box).
3. Quinoa
Quinoa is a berry instead of a wheat, so it can be kosher for Passover. Cook it the same way you would at any other time of year. Spruce it up by turning it into an herb quinoa salad using a recipe inspired by a Jerusalem restaurant and featured on Jewish website Aish. In a bowl, combine a cup of cooked quinoa with a half cup of chopped cilantro, two green onions finely chopped, ½ cup red onion, and a cup of chopped nuts of your choice. In another bowl, mix 2 tablespoons olive oil, salt and pepper, 2 tablespoons citrus juice (lemon, orange or lime) and ½ tablespoon honey. Pour the dressing on the quinoa salad, mix well and serve.
4. Unsweetened cocoa
Unsweetened cocoa typically has 10 calories per tablespoon and about 2 grams of fiber. Yet it can make any recipe chocolatey with equal parts sweetener. To make homemade hot chocolate, heat up one cup of your favorite low-fat or dairy-free milk for one minute in a saucepan. Then stir in a pinch of salt, two teaspoons of unsweetened kosher-for-Passover cocoa powder, and 2 teaspoons of honey or other sweetener. Heat for another minute and serve.
5. Shmurah matzo
The freshest, tastiest matzo is also the most authentic. While all kosher-for-Passover matzo is guarded and must be cooked within 18 minutes from start to finish, shmurah matzo has extra steps, such as the wheat being sheathed before it dries out. It is considered the closest to what our ancestors ate when escaping Egypt.
6. Broccoli and cauliflower kugel
Kugel is a traditional Jewish casserole made with either noodles or potatoes and served year-round. Replace the potatoes with chopped broccoli and cauliflower. Jamie Geller’s recipe simply mixes 6 cups of chopped cauliflower and broccoli, 3 lightly beaten eggs, a sautéed onion, ½ cup chopped fresh parsley, ¼ cup potato starch, ½ cup chopped dill, salt and pepper in a bowl. Spoon the mixture into a muffin tin and bake for an hour until the tops are golden. Each muffin is only 110 calories and has 3 grams of fiber.
7. Jamie Geller’s flourless banana pancakes
Smash two large or three small bananas in a bowl. Mix with four eggs. Pour a quarter cup at a time into a skillet sprayed with cooking spray and placed over medium heat. Cook each pancake for one to two minutes per side.
8. Real chicken broth
Paula Shoyer’s Chicken Broth
Place the chicken pieces in a large pot. Add the onions, carrots, leek, celery, garlic, parsnips, fennel, turnip, bay leaves and salt. Add the water and bring to a boil. Use a large spoon to skim the scum off the top of the soup. Cover the pot, reduce the heat to low and let the soup simmer, checking it after 5 minutes and skimming off any additional scum. Add the parsley and dill, cover and simmer the soup for 2 hours. Let cool. Strain the soup through a large sieve, reserving the carrots to return to the soup when serving. Taste the soup and add more salt or pepper if necessary.
Boxed matzo ball soup mixes are heavy in salt and processed ingredients. Instead, Shoyer recommends making your own chicken broth. You’ll need two whole medium chickens, cut into pieces; 2 large onions, quartered; 6 carrots, peeled and cut in half; 1 halved leek; 6 stalks celery with leaves, cut in half; 4 cloves garlic; 2 parsnips, peeled and cut in thirds; 1 fennel bulb, quartered; 1 turnip, peeled and quartered; 2 bay leaves; 1 tablespoon kosher salt; 1 gallon water; ½ bunch parsley; ½ bunch dill; salt and black pepper; and 2 medium zucchinis for garnish (see box, above, for directions).
9. Snacks: Nuts, fresh fruit and vegetables
Passover is the perfect opportunity to clean up your snack habits. Keep a wide variety of nuts, fruits and vegetables in your home. Almonds can be ground into flour for a variety of recipes and for fry batter for chicken and fish. Almonds slivers are also delicious as a yogurt topping.
10. Potato starch
Potato starch is a must-have pantry staple for Passover. It works as a wheat and cornstarch substitute. You can use it in baking and for thickening sauces and gravies. As a wheat substitute, you may see it combined with matzo meal.
