Four More Passover Keepers

We went to a Passover brunch this morning, and my friend made the most delicious matzo kugel. It had pears and apricots and it was extremely satisfying in a Passover sort of way. I was really excited about it, and exclaimed, "This is great! I'll definitely be making this next year!"

That's the thing about Pesach recipes (other than matzo ball soup); gefilte fish, charoset, vegetables kugels, matzo granola, the newly discovered minas: no matter how much I enjoy them, there's no way I'll be making them again until the next Pesach. After Tuesday night, the soonest I plan to touch matzo is April 6, 2012.

But when that time comes, I want to remember these recipes. They are gooood.

Pear-Apricot Matzo Kugel: S. made this with pear instead of apple, and subbed some cardamom for some of the cinnamon (because she knows I'm not fond of cinnamon, how nice!). It's as close as you can get to a French toast casserole during Pesach. A keeper.

Matzo Minas: These were this year's big discovery. I caught this story on the NPR Facebook feed and couldn't wait to give it a try. According to the story, minas are also known as meginas or mehinas, they are a Sephardic matzo pies not unlike lasagna. I made two versions, and with the following adjustments, will happily make them again next year.

Mina de Carne

I've modified this recipe slightly to suit our tastes. It called for sugar but the carrot is more subtle and allows for more vegetable content. And draining the meat first really makes for a lighter dish. Makes filling for a 9-inch mina

1 lb ground beef
1/2 lb ground lamb
2 T extra virgin olive oil
2 c finely chopped red onions (2-3 medium onions)
1 finely grated carrot
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 t kosher salt, or more to taste
Freshly ground black pepper
1/2 c coarsely chopped flat leaf (Italian) parsley
1/2 c coarsely chopped dill leaves
One 28-oz can crushed tomatoes
4 large eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup crumbled feta (to spread around top of mina before baking)

Brown lamb in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, drain over paper towels. Do the same with the ground beef. Heat olive oil over medium-high heat and add the chopped onions and 1 t salt; saute until soft and somewhat transparent, 7 to 10 minutes. Add the carrot, garlic, remaining salt and black pepper and cook until brown, about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally to break up meat. Lower to medium heat, add the chopped parsley and dill, and mix well. Cook 5 minutes.

Pour in the crushed tomatoes and mix well. Bring to a slow boil over high heat and cook 3 minutes, then lower the heat to medium and cook an additional 7 to 10 minutes.

Remove from heat and cool to room temperature. Mix in the beaten eggs and proceed with the Basic Mina Template recipe.

Leek and Asparagus Filling with Dill and Lemon

This was delicious! I modified this recipe as well and it's a keeper! Makes filling for an 8- or 9-inch mina

2 T olive oil
4 to 5 small leeks, or 2 to 3 large, thinly sliced and washed free of all dirt
1/2 t salt

2 bunches asparagus, washed, tough stems snapped off and sliced into 1-inch lengths
1/4 cup dill, finely chopped
Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
Grated black pepper to taste
1 c cottage cheese
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup crumbled feta (to distribute over the top of the casserole before baking)

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over a medium flame. Add the leeks, sprinkle with the salt and saute until they totally soften but do not color, about 10 minutes. Add the asparagus, cook for an additional minute until they just begin to turn bright green, then turn off the heat (they'll cook further in the oven). Add the mint and lemon zest, black pepper to taste and additional salt if needed. Let cool for a couple of minutes, then add the cottage cheese and eggs, stirring to combine, and proceed with the Basic Mina Template recipe.

Assembling the Mina

4 to 6 sheets matzo
1 recipe mina filling

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, and oil an 8- or 9-inch square casserole dish or it's equivalent (which will require more breaking and reassembling of matzo to cover).

Soften the matzo sheets, either by dipping them in a dish of water or running them under the faucet, until they are just starting to soften (you don't want to oversoak, or they'll become mushy). Set aside in a clean dish towel for about 5 minutes, then check to see that they have become somewhat bendable. If not, moisten them further and set them aside for another few minutes to absorb.

When the matzo is ready, cover the entire bottom of the baking dish with a layer of matzo (you will have to break some matzo in pieces to fill in the gaps). Gently spread half of the filling over the matzo. Top with another layer of matzo, then the remaining filling. For the above recipes, top with the crumbled feta before baking. Bake until the filling is hot and set, about 45 minutes. Allow to cool and set for 15 minutes, then serve.

And here is a dessert I'd make all year long, but it is absolutely wonderful for Passover. If this flourless chocolate cake roll cracks, just serve it up in a bowl topped with whip cream and call it trifle. My sister did, and we loved it.

Smitten Kitchen's Zucchini, Ham and Ricotta Fritters

Fritters? Latkes? Pancakes? Whatever you call them, these are delicious! Light, savory, they make a lovely brunch or light supper with an arugula salad, or probably any green salad but the peppery greens were perfect. Don't want to lose track of this one.

Zucchini Bread (sweet) and Zucchini Muffins (savory)

I know it's summer when I'm desperate to find a good zucchini recipe. All through my childhood, summer meant lots and lots of squash, there was always more than most of us wanted to eat. I remember my mom's zucchini bread, zucchini soup, zucchini cake, zucchini in tomato sauce and a whole lot of steamed zucchini. So much of it that not a single one of those recipes holds any appeal.

Fast forward to adult me, an urban non-farmer but CSA subscriber. And yes, there is plenty of zucchini. None of us are that partial to it, but since I don't have pigs to feed, find a recipe I must. Here are two that are outstanding, thanks to the brilliant Heidi Swanson at 101 Cookbooks.

The first is her "My Special Zucchini Bread" and it is without a doubt the best zucchini bread I've ever had. Gone is the cloying cinnamon dullness, replaced by curry powder and ginger, with poppy seeds, chopped nuts and whole wheat pastry flour for texture. It makes two loaves, so 1 stick of butter is pretty moderate in the fat department. I used almonds instead of walnuts and would half the amount of crystalized ginger next time, as MZ and others loved it for a few bites and then had enough. It's strongly flavored. With those few changes, I will happily make this recipe for as long as the zucchini lasts. This isn't a super-moist quick bread, but it goes down easy with a cup of coffee or a glass of milk. Delicious!

The second is a riff on two of Heidi's recipes, the Zucchini Ricotta Cheese Cake and the Cottage Cheese Muffins. I'm not fond of dill, and muffins work better for the quick meals we require around here. I'm also not as much of an ingredients purist. I've made this hybrid with almond meal, but since nuts aren't allowed at MZ's preschool, I use flax meal instead, hoping she'll warm to them as they would be perfect in her lunch box. These light, quiche-like muffins make a great breakfast, and an even better lunch lightly warmed with a crisp green salad.

Zucchini Ricotta Muffins

2 cups zucchini, unpeeled & grated

1 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
1 15 oz. container part-skim ricotta cheese
1/2 cup lowfat cottage cheese
1/2 cup freshly shredded Parmesan cheese
2 shallots, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
4 large eggs, well beaten

1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 cup ground flax seeds
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 T water

Preheat oven to 400F degrees, place racks in the middle of the oven. Line a muffin pan or two (this makes 18 muffins) with medium-sized silicon or paper baking cups.

In a strainer, toss the shredded zucchini with the salt and let sit for ten minutes. Wrap the zucchini in a clean cotton kitchen towel and wring out as much moisture as possible. Fluff lightly and set aside.

In the meantime, combine the ricotta cheese, cottage cheese, Parmesan cheese, shallots, garlic and basil in a medium bowl. Stir in the eggs and continue mixing until well combined. Add the flour, flax seed meal and baking powder and stir lightly to combine, then add the shredded zucchini.

Fill the muffin cups with the mixture and place in the oven. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until set, slightly risen, and golden brown. Serve as hot or at room temperature. Makes 18 muffins.