Passover Recipes From A Minnesota Chef

Passover is an eight-day festival that is celebrated by the Jewish during the springtime. It reflects and celebrates a time when the Israelites were freed from slavery. This celebration is filled with lots of rituals, candles, family time and, of course, food. The highlight for most during Passover is seder. It is a 15-step family tradition that features matzah, herbs, wine and reciting ancient stories of the Israelites.

Whether you celebrate Passover or are just interested in learning some new recipes, here are some that you can experiment with. If cooking isn't your thing, you can always head to Little Tel-Aviv in Minneapolis to order your very own kosher dish.

Side note about these recipes: If you are concerned about the oils or ingredients being suitable for Passover, you can substitute them for non-dairy or certified Kosher replacements.

Little Tel-Aviv
3238 W. Lake St.
Minneapolis, MN 55416
(612) 929-1111
www.littletel-aviv.com

Little Tel-Aviv is located on the west side of Lake Calhoun in Uptown on Lake Street. Here you will find breakfast, lunch and dinner choices to suit your kosher and vegetarian needs. Owner of the restaurant, Teddy Nachmias, uses specialty ingredients to ensure his vegetarian kosher food is top of the line. Some of his ingredients include dried chickpeas instead of using ones from a can, English cucumbers because their skins are less tough than the traditional American versions and fresh herbs like parsley and cilantro. If oven-baked walleye fish cakes served with spicy, house-made ketchup, an Israeli salad with Tahinni sauce and couscous topped with walleye cakes or garbanzo beans sounds like your cup of tea, this is the place for you. Some say the falafel, made with fresh pitas, is the best in town. While Little Tel Aviv is not open for seder, these recipes are ones that are simple and can be made from home.

Coconut Macaroons

• 1 package coconut (14 oz)
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1 Tbsp all purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp almond extract
• Pinch of salt
• 3 egg whites (at room temp)
• 8 oz. semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Blend coconut, sugar, flour, vanilla, almond and salt in a food processor.
3. Beat egg whites in a bowl until peaks form.
4. Fold the coconut mixture into the egg whites.
5. Roll spoonfuls of the cookie mixture into golf ball-sized cookies.
6. Arrange cookies on a parchment-lined baking sheet, bake for 15 minutes and cool for 30 minutes.
7. Meanwhile, melt chocolate in a double boiler on the stovetop.
8. Once the cookies are cool to the touch, dip 1/2 of each into the melted chocolate and let cool until chocolate hardens.

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Easy Matzo Ball Soup

• 6 cups low sodium chicken stock
• 1 sliced carrot
• 1 sliced celery
• 1/2 chopped onion
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 1 cup matzo meal
• 1/4 cup chicken stock
• 4 eggs, separated
• 1/4 cup kosher vegetable oil
• Salt and pepper

Directions:

1. Combine stock, carrot, celery, onion and parsley in a large sauce pan. Bring to a boil, then simmer until the vegetables are tender.
2. Combine matzo meal, 1/4 cup chicken stock, 4 egg yolks, vegetable oil and salt and pepper to taste in a large bowl.
3. Beat the egg whites in another bowl until frothy. Then fold them into the matzo meal mixture.
4. Refrigerate for 15 minutes to stiffen up the mixture, then roll into 2 inch-sized balls. (Dip your hands in cold water occasionally to keep cold.)
5. Add the balls to the simmering stock as you form them. Then cover and cook for 30 minutes.

Matzo-crusted Walleye Fillets

• 1 large egg
• 3 cups crushed matzos
• Coarse kosher salt
• Freshly ground pepper
• Safflower oil, for frying
• 4 fillets of walleye (The fresher, the better. Nachmias' walleye dishes at Little Tel-Aviv are divine.)
• 1 lemon, wedged

Directions:

1. Beat egg in a mixing bowl.
2. Mix crushed matzos, salt and pepper in a different mixing bowl.
3. Heat about 1/2 inch of oil in a large cast-iron skillet to about 375 degrees F on a deep-fry thermometer.
4. Dip each walleye fillet into the egg, then into matzo mix. Press each side to fully coat with the crust.
5. Place 2 fillets in the skillet at a time and cook until golden brown. (about 2 minutes per side)
6. Put the cooked fish on a paper towel to leach off excess oil. (repeat for remaining two fillets)
7. Serve while hot and garnish with a lemon wedge.

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Amber Ranzau lives on the edge of Uptown in Minneapolis and is a gal about town. She frequents the local restaurant scene, loves to support new and local businesses, follows the latest and greatest fashion and design trends, and she does all of this while working as an interior designer, spending time with her man, The Specialist, and taking care of her two goldfish Felix and Petunia and their tankmate Huey the Snail. Her work can be found at Examiner.com.