Vegetarian for Passover

Several years ago my friend Linda was recovering from surgery at Passover. She wasn’t well enough to prepare a Seder, and she didn’t feel much like eating. I prepared a vegetarian meal for her. Most of the recipes came from the Sephardic rather than the Ashkenazim tradition.

Here are several vegetarian Passover dishes that are good anytime whether you’re Jewish or not.

Mock Chopped Liver - Serve with Matzo
Makes about 2 cups

1 ½ tablespoons olive oil
1 ½ cups chopped onions
1 cup toasted cashews
1 cup steamed fresh string beans, cut into 1-inch lengths, or 1 cup thawed
frozen string beans
1 tablespoon lemon juice
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Heat the oil in a small skillet. Sauté the onions slowly over moderately low
heat, stirring frequently, until nicely browned. Combine the onions with the remaining ingredients in the container of a food processor. Process until smoothly pureed, scraping down the sides as needed. Store in a jar until needed, and bring to room temperature before serving.


Mushroom Matzoh Lasagna

3 tablespoon olive oil
2 large onions, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 1/2 lb mushrooms, chopped
1 c chopped tomatoes
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1 salt and pepper
5 matzohs
1 c grated jack cheese
1/2 c grated parmesan cheese
1 c tomato sauce

Instructions

Heat oil in large skillet. Cook onions, garlic and mushrooms until soft,
about six minutes. Stir in tomatoes and oregano and simmer 10 minutes.
Taste for salt and pepper and set aside. Preheat oven to 350øF and grease an eight-inch square baking pan. Soften matzohs by holding under warm running water for a few seconds. Spread two tablespoons tomato sauce on bottom of pan. Layer matzohs alternately with
mushroom-onion mixture and jack cheese ending with a layer of matzoh on
top. Pour remaining tomato sauce over all, sprinkle with Parmesan cheese
and bake about 30 minutes or until bubbly. Let cool slightly and cut into
squares to serve. serves 6

Lemony Leek And Mushroom Soup
Makes 8 to 10 servings

7 cups water
1 cup chopped onion
Green parts from 2 leeks, well washed
4 sprigs parsley
1 large celery stalk, coarsely chopped
2 vegetable bouillon cubes

2 tablespoons olive oil
4 large leeks, white and lightest green parts only, chopped and well rinsed
2 medium turnips, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch dice
1 large celery stalk, diced
2 bay leaves
14 1/2-ounce can tomatoes with liquid, chopped
12 ounces white mushrooms, sliced
juice of 1 lemon, or more to taste
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
2 to 3 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
2 to 3 tablespoons minced fresh dill
matzo farfel (coarse crumbs made of matzo flour, available in boxes from the
supermarket) for garnish, optional

Combine all the ingredients for the stock in a soup pot or large saucepan. Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer for 30 minutes. Let stand until needed and then strain before using. Heat the oil in a large soup pot. Add the chopped leeks and sauté over moderate heat, stirring frequently, until the leeks just begin to go limp. Add the stock, turnips, celery, and bay leaves. Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer for 10 minutes.

Add the tomatoes and mushrooms and continue to simmer until the vegetables are tender, another 15 to 20 minutes. Season to taste with lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Remove from the heat.

Allow the soup to stand for several hours, or cool and refrigerate overnight. Before serving, heat through as needed. Stir in the parsley and dill. If the vegetables seem crowded, adjust the consistency with more water, and then adjust the seasonings and lemon juice. Top each serving with a sprinkling of matzo farfel if desired.


Eggplant Matzo Mina (think lasagna)
Makes 8 to 10 servings

2 medium eggplants, about 2 pounds total
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
15-ounce can tomato sauce
14-ounce can imported plum tomatoes, drained and chopped
2 to 3 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
1/2 teaspoon each: dried oregano, dried basil, and paprika
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
6 matzos
1 pound mozzarella cheese or soy “mozzarella”

Preheat the broiler. Cut the eggplants into 1/2-inch slices and peel. Brush lightly with oil and
broil on each side until tender.

Heat the oil in a deep saucepan. Add the onion and garlic and sauté until
golden. Add the tomato sauce, tomatoes, parsley, and seasonings. Bring to a
simmer and cook over low heat, covered, for 15 minutes.

Break each matzo into three strips. Fill a shallow casserole dish with
lightly salted water. Place the matzo strips in it for 2 to 3 minutes until
pliable but not mushy. Remove carefully to a plate,

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly oil a large, shallow baking casserole and layer as follows: a thin layer of sauce, a layer of eggplant, a layer of matzo, and a layer of cheese.
Repeat. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the cheese is touched with brown spots.

Sautéed Carrots with Almonds

2 1/2 tablespoons margarine
2 pounds carrots, thinly sliced
1/4 cup apple juice
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 to 3 tablespoons minced chives
1/2 cup sliced almonds
dash salt

Heat the margarine in a large skillet. Add the carrots and sauté over
moderate heat, stirring frequently, until crisp-tender and beginning to turn
golden, about 10 to 15 minutes. If the skillet begins to turn dry, sprinkle in some of the apple
juice while sautéing. When the carrots are crisp-tender, add the remaining
apple juice and sauté, stirring, until it is absorbed. Stir in the remaining ingredients, then
transfer to a serving container.

Sephardic Orange and Olive Salad

Two heads Romaine Lettuce
1 bunch Watercress
½ cup pitted, black Oil Cured Olives, sliced in half
½ Red Onion, (cut into small dice)
2 Blood Oranges, peeled and cubed
Dressing
½ cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Salt to taste
Black Pepper to taste
¼ cup Orange Juice

1. Wash and dry the romaine and the watercress. Toss in a large bowl with
the other ingredients. Add freshly ground black pepper to taste - the
olives may be salty so don't add any salt here.
2. Prepare the dressing, seasoning it to taste. Slowly pour the dressing over
the salad while tossing well to coat all. Be careful not to use too much
dressing for the amount of greens.
3. Garnish with very thin slices of blood orange and blood orange zest.

Date Haroset (I love this because of the combination of dates and apricots)
Makes 8 to 10 servings
1 cup pitted dates
1/2 cup dried apricots
1/3 cup walnuts
1/3 cup almonds
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/3 cup orange juice
2 tablespoons sweet red Passover wine

Combine all the ingredients in the container of a food processor. Process
until finely chopped. Pat into a serving container, then cover until needed.


If you want a haroset that's more than just a spread, try this recipe.

Moroccan Haroset Balls with Dates, Raisins and Nuts
Recipe courtesy of Gourmet Magazine

1 to 2 tablespoons sweet red Passover wine
2 cups pitted dates
1/2 cup golden raisins
1/2 cup dark raisins
1/2 cup walnuts

Process the dates, raisins, and walnuts in a food processor until the mixture is finely chopped and begins to stick together. Add enough wine to make a sticky mass. Line a baking sheet with waxed paper. Drop slightly rounded measuring teaspoonfuls of the mixture onto a lined sheet. Roll each mound with moistened palms into hazelnut-size balls. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours or until firm.